Indoor vaping gets NCT's Haechan fined by local health center

Haechan of boy band NCT [YONHAP]

NCT’s Haechan was fined for smoking indoors by the local public health center after he was spotted smoking at NCT 127's practice room in the band's dance practice video on Wednesday.

“We confirmed that Haechan was smoking with a vaping device indoors during NCT 127’s dance practice video, which was released on Wednesday,” SM Entertainment said Thursday. “We received a fine from the local public health center regarding the issue and are planning to pay the fine.”

“We will also pay special attention to prevent this from happening again,” it added.

A dispute arose between fans on whether Haechan was smoking indoors, after a behind-the-scene dance practice clip for NCT 127’s single “Be There For Me” was uploaded on the band’s official YouTube channel on Wednesday. Some fans claimed he was having a snack such as an energy bar, while others said he was vaping during his practice.

The video was taken down by SM Entertainment right after the controversy heated.

Haechan debuted as a member of NCT in 2016. He is a part of two subunits of NCT: NCT 127 and NCT Dream. He participated in NCT 127’s recent winter-themed single “Be There For Me,” released on Dec. 22.

He is currently taking a break from band activities due to health issues, which was announced Wednesday.

To find out more about Haechan and NCT, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]