HAECHAN of K-pop boy group NCT has been fined for indoor smoking.
On January 10, NCT's management agency SM Entertainment shared a video of NCT's unit NCT 127 on YouTube.
In the video, the members of NCT 127 were seen in a dance studio, practicing dance moves for their song 'Be There for Me'.
During a break between their practice, HAECHAN at the back was seen holding something, which looked like an electronic cigarette, in his hand.
Not only was he holding the thing, but he also brought it close to his mouth and inhaled it twice.
Following the release of this video, a great number of people claimed that HAECHAN was smoking indoors.
They said that what HAECHAN was holding and inhaling had to be an electronic cigarette, while some argued that it was some sort of food and he was simply eating it.
As the debate over this heated up in the comment section as well as on social media, the video was soon re-uploaded with that particular bit edited out.
When it was re-uploaded, however, SM Entertainment gave no explanation.
Then, on January 11, SM Entertainment confirmed that HAECHAN was smoking an electronic cigarette in the dance studio.
In their official statement, the agency wrote, "We discovered that HAECHAN was smoking an electronic cigarette in the choreography practice video that was released the day before. And today, we were fined by the district health center for breaking the law; we will be paying the fine right away."
"We deeply apologize for causing concern to many through our careless actions. We will pay special attention to prevent anything like this from happening in the future," they added.
In Korea, non-smoking areas include office buildings, factories and multipurpose structures with a floor area of 1,000 square meters or more.
The penalty for breaking this law is a fine of up to 100,000 won (approximately 75 dollars).
(Credit= SM Entertainment)