NCT’s Lucas Is Not Included In The Group’s Newest Merch
Following the controversy surrounding NCT‘s Lucas earlier this year, SM Entertainment has divided opinion by omitting him from the group’s newest merchandise product.
Part of NCT sub-groups WayV and NCT U as well as SuperM, Lucas came under fire back in August this year after multiple female netizens accused him of cheating and gaslighting. Within days, Lucas’s largest Chinese fansite resigned and his upcoming schedules were canceled by SM Entertainment. Shortly afterward, Lucas personally apologized for his actions and promised fans he would be deeply reflecting on his behavior.
Since then, there have been few updates on Lucas’s whereabouts other than his return to China being canceled last month. Now, SM Entertainment has drawn a range of opinions with their latest decision: omitting Lucas from the group’s merchandise.
Earlier this week, SMTOWN &STORE announced that NCT’s “MY ARTIST CARD PACK” merchandise kit would soon be available for purchase at the company’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza store in Seoul. The pack appears to include random member photocards, a photocard sleeve, and stickers featuring each NCT member’s name.
However, when SMTOWN & STORE held a live broadcast to show off the new merchandise kit, it didn’t take fans long to notice that only 22 members’ names were featured in the sticker set, with Lucas completely missing.
Unsurprisingly, K-Pop fans have divided opinions on the decision. Some were pleased to see that the company has taken allegations against Lucas seriously.
But, on the flip side, many are pointing out SM Entertainment omitting Lucas from merch with no explanation is not a substitute for a real statement. No matter which side of public opinion they sit on when it comes to Lucas’s controversy, several fans are stating that they want to see a real announcement on whether Lucas is still a member of NCT.
Okayyy @SMTOWNGLOBAL u need to release a statement if lucas is still in the f*cking group or not. This is stupid, with this type of merch cutting him off with no proper statement. This is disappointing. https://t.co/WVB7lfW4Jq
— Leerie (@nct_protector) October 15, 2021
sm needs to be normal company for once and release a proper statement cus the allegations are so serious why is sm beating around the bush https://t.co/XWlz8oYBEI
— hani (@leesolos) October 15, 2021
As of yet, SM Entertainment has not followed up on the decision to leave Lucas out of the “MY ARTIST CARD PACK” set or clarified Lucas’s current status.
