Moon Tae-il, professionally known as Taeil, is a South Korean singer born on June 14, 1994, in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. He was the main vocalist of NCT U and NCT 127 from 2016 to 2024, before departing due to sexual offense allegations.
Growing up, Taeil's family consisted of his mother, father, and younger sister. As a young boy, he harbored a dream of becoming a zookeeper, but his life took a dramatic turn when he discovered the music of Stevie Wonder. This serendipitous encounter sparked a passion within him to pursue a career as a singer.
In 2013, Taeil's life took another pivotal turn when he was discovered by SM Entertainment talent scouts at the Youth Singing Contest. At the time, he had already been accepted into the Music Department of Hanyang University. After a week of careful consideration, he initially decided to attend college, but soon changed his mind and chose to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.