K-pop star leaves band over 'sexual crime' allegation

South Korean pop star Taeil has left K-pop group NCT after allegations of an unspecified sexual crime, his record label has announced.

SM Entertainment released a statement on X, confirming the 30-year-old singer would no longer be part of the boy band after learning he had been "accused in a criminal case related to a sexual crime".

The label did not specify the nature of the alleged crime.

The statement went on: "We recognised the seriousness of the issue, and we have decided that Taeil can no longer continue team activities.

"We have discussed this matter with Taeil, and it has been decided that he will leave the group."

The label said the singer, whose real name is Moon Tae-il, is fully cooperating with the police investigation.

NCT, or Neo Culture Technology, released their first single in 2016, and is popular around the world.

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The group, whose music spans various genres, currently has over two dozen members divided into several sub-units, including NCT 127, NCT Dream, and NCT Wish.

Taeil was recently active in NCT 127.

SM Entertainment's statement received more than 45.7 million views in less than three hours.

K-pop, which originated in South Korea in the 1990s, has become an international phenomenon, gaining particular attention following the success of BTS in the late 2010s.

Sky News has contacted management representing NCT 127 for comment.