Update as of October 8th, 2024:
Warning, this section has triggering content ahead about the details of the crime. A South Korean news website, “The Chonsun Daily” was the first to talk about the details. Moon Taeil was interrogated at the Seoul Bangbae Police Station on September 12th, the information came out that he was charged on quasi-rape charges with 2 acquaintances. The other 2 who are involved are not said to be celebrities. They allegedly sexually assaulted an intoxicated woman.
Reach Out
If you or a loved one is in a situation involving sexual assault, it is always possible to reach out for help. The National Sexual Assault Hotline number is 1-800-656-4673. Calling will be confidential, and the line is open 24/7. You can also tell a trusted adult or friend about your situation. In these cases, it can be easy to feel alone. If you know someone going through something similar, be there to listen to them and tell them you are there for them.
Published September 13th, 2024:
Beware: This article contains sensitive content under the topic of sex related crimes. While reading, please proceed with caution.
Your favorite K-pop idols might not be the people you think they are.
K-pop is becoming more popular worldwide and the music genre’s fan-base growing every day. Many fans enjoy the music from this genre, but as you dig deeper into the community, fans not only like the music, but are connected to the groups and the members in them as well.
The entertainment company SM released an announcement on X (formerly Twitter) about a boy group under their company, NCT127, about member Moon Taeil. SM is a company that has previously put other K-pop idols from their company on hiatus for long periods of time, but in this situation they immediately removed him from the group.
Official Statement Translation
“It’s SM Entertainment.
We recently confirmed that Taeil has been accused of a criminal case related to sex crimes.
In this regard, we recognized that the issue was very serious while grasping the facts, so we decided that we could no longer continue our team activities, and we discussed with Taeil and decided to withdraw from the team.
Currently, Taeil is faithfully working on the police investigation, and we will tell you additional positions depending on the progress of the investigation.
We deeply apologize for the controversy caused by our artist.”
It’s Happened Before
The details about the crime have not been released and police are not speaking on the matter. Many people have put their trust in these idols, and look up to them, but what if the person you look up to isn’t the person you think they are? After the Burning Sun Scandal in 2019, another K-pop idol related sex scandal, many said they would not put too much trust in their idols anymore, but as more people join the community, not everyone is aware of the possibilities that have once happened before.
There is a recent documentary about the Burning Sun Scandal on YouTube, Burning Sun: Exposing the secret K-pop chat groups – BBC World Service Documentaries. This documentary talks about all the details and gives a better understanding of the previous crime. In comparison, this is a more sensitive topic.
Announcements like these almost snap others into reality. These people could be completely different from what they portray on screen. They may seem like “good” people, but they’re acting like this because it’s a part of their job.
