Former NCT Taeil’s Current Status As An SM Entertainment Artist Raises Serious Concerns
This article is part of our coverage of Former NCT Taeil's Sex Crime Scandal. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
Previously, SM Entertainment announced Taeil‘s withdrawal from NCT due to an unspecified sexual crime. The company provided no additional details then, but details surrounding the case have continuously been revealed.
Taeil’s reported charge under investigation is, in Korean, “Special Quasi-Rape.” According to Korean law, the term “special” indicates that it was aggravated—meaning that it either involved weapon(s) or, in his case, more than two people. The term “quasi” indicates that the victim was unconscious and/or unable to resist. His charge in the US would most accurately be referred to as “aggravated rape.”
Most recent details have alleged that his victim is a foreigner.
Despite his expulsion from the group, Taeil is still listed as an artist on SM Entertainment’s website.
This has raised concerns from some netizens, who have believe SM Entertainment should have terminated his contract instantly. Some have expressed thoughts that SM may be keeping Taeil signed in order to re-launch his career at a later date.
taeil GANG-RAPED a woman and is roaming free.
he is still employed by SM entertainment.
this is disgusting. anyone with an ounce of self-respect ought to boycott that company. https://t.co/60zMq5xhhK pic.twitter.com/iSL71eKNCN
— van 🪼 (blooming artist yunjin day ♡) (@purinzfem) October 7, 2024
While that fuckass company continues to keep him on as an artist
I don't see any morally upright SM stans asking for his removal from the company. No boycotts, no trends.
Your sense of justice is limited to stupid tweets#BoycottSM https://t.co/ctktXBIFyM pic.twitter.com/bIE00EGeQn— shanni⁷ (@ARMYgeddon7) October 7, 2024
do y'all understand how fucking sickening and disgusting this is, it was literally the least they could do, fucking kick him out of the group instead they did not?! pic.twitter.com/D81bnhE2rZ
— 𓆩♡𓆪 | ᯓ✦ fan (@starofthsoul) August 28, 2024
These are concerns as SM Entertainment is known for hanging on artists after they have been placed on hiatus. In the only truly relatable instance, former Super Junior‘s Kangin is still signed to the company despite his two DUI charges and accusation of assault.
Kangin’s recent attempts to return to celebrity life have been met with negative feedback.
However, there must be consideration taken for the legal contracts involved in the situation.
It is common knowledge that many contracts, including those made between individuals and entertainment companies, have a early termination fee. An early termination fee is an amount that the party seeking to end the contract before its expiration must pay to the other party.
Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has a standard early termination fee for idols’ contracts: taking the idol’s average monthly revenue over the past two years and then multiplying that by the number of months remaining in the contract at the time of early termination and was recently discussed in relation to NewJeans’ possible contract termination.
NewJeans’ Early Contract Termination Fee Estimated To Be At Least 300 Billion KRW
The specifics of Taeil’s contract termination fees are not known, but it is a valid point to take into consideration, as many have pointed out.
Additionally, it is unclear if there are any clauses in Taeil’s contract that would allow SM Entertainment to remove him without the risk of a lawsuit for wrongful termination without conviction.
seeing a lot of posts like this and i want to put in my two cents; SM cannot simply just drop taeil. they cannot terminate his contract without paying him a LOT in severance pay. SM is most likely waiting on his contract to finish out instead of bothering with legalities https://t.co/iuHN5tkJT5
— jaaaaaaaay 🐹 (@nuikamishiro) October 7, 2024
It's a violation to unilaterally terminate a contract when someone is still in the contract period and the company must pay a fine for the termination.
Based on the company Q report, the contract will be terminated if the case is already in the court decision (final verdict).
— 오락님 (@atouchbase) October 8, 2024
first of all fuck taeil he needs to be in jail, some of u mfs dont understand how contracts works the most layman explaination i can give is – sm kick taeil early = sm pay more = taeil more money, sm no kick out taeil before contract end = taeil no compensation= no money https://t.co/ap9a3X57A1
— ru (@minhyungmarked) October 8, 2024
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