Taeil suspected in 'Nth Room' Telegram chat case, rumors link over 200 K-pop idols
Taeil, a former member of the K-pop group NCT, has left the group following accusations of sexual offenses. SM Entertainment confirmed Taeil's departure on August 28, citing the allegations as the reason behind the decision. The agency stated that Taeil had been accused of a sexual crime, leading to significant backlash from the K-pop community.
The controversy intensified when netizens speculated that Taeil might be connected to the ongoing 'Nth Room' case, a notorious South Korean scandal involving illegal chat rooms where explicit and exploitative content is shared. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), users debated whether Taeil was involved, with some rumors suggesting that over 200 idols could be linked to the case. However, these claims remain unverified, with some netizens cautioning against spreading unconfirmed information. One user tweeted, "Stop spreading unconfirmed Twitter rumors. We don’t even know if Taeil was in the room or if he acted alone."
In a separate statement, KBS reported that Taeil had been booked for "unspecified sexual crimes" in June and has been under investigation by the Bangpae Police Station. The authorities also confirmed that the alleged victim is an adult woman.
— myles (@soulboba) August 28, 2024
The situation further escalated when Instagram user @agnes_121430 claimed to be Taeil’s victim, accusing him of various criminal acts, including sexual abuse, phone hacking, blackmail, and issuing death threats. This led to widespread condemnation from fans and fellow NCT members, who unfollowed Taeil on their social media accounts.
— Vithem (@vlixfarm) August 28, 2024