Agency apologises as NCT's Haechan is caught smoking indoors, singer to face penalty

NCT member Haechan will be paying a fine after he was seen with an e-cig in a dance studio. Smoking in public places is illegal in South Korea.

NCT's agency SM Entertainment issued a statement to apologise on behalf of Haechan after a clip of him smoking an e-cigarette indoors went viral. Many Korean media outlets accused Haechan of smoking in a dance studio which is illegal in South Korea. While his fans broke into an online debate and argued that Haechan wasn't smoking but vaping, many might not have realised that both acts are illegal in public places.

NCT member Haechan to pay fine for illegal smoking after viral video.

Haechan smoking row

Haechan and the agency have received a notice from the authorities in the matter and have been slapped with a fine as well. Allkpop quoted a representative of SM Entertainment saying, “After the release of NCT 127's latest behind-the-scenes practice video content on January 10, we confirmed that Haechan was seen smoking an e-cigarette indoors.”

NCT's Haechan to pay fine for illegal smoking

“Today, we received notice of a penalty charged for this violation of smoking laws from the local health center, and so we intend on paying the fine. We would like to deeply apologise for causing many people concerns with such careless actions. We will take precautions so that the same mistake does not happen again,” it also added.

The video was from the dance practice of NCT 127's new single, Be There For Me. In the clip, Haechan, with other members, was seen practising dance inside the studio with an e-cigarette in his hand. He was seemingly on a break from the practice. After concerns were raised, the video was taken off by the agency from the platform. However, glimpses from the video have gone viral on social media.

Haechan on break

Haechan is a member of NCT and its sub-units NCT 127 and NCT Dream. He recently announced a temporary break from work due to his health and also opted out of Circle Chart Music Awards 2023, where only six members of NCT DREAM, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung, performed.

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