Nam Tae-hyun Set for First Stage Performance Since Meth Charges and Legal Battles

Former WINNER member Nam Tae-hyun is officially gearing up for his return to the stage.

On May 6, Nam Tae-hyun is scheduled to perform at K-pop Week in Hongdae, held at West Bridge Live Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul. While he released a single titled At the Edge of the Night back in January, this marks his first official on-stage appearance since his involvement in a drug-related incident.

In 2022, Nam became embroiled in controversy after Heart Signal 3 star Seo Min-jae accused him of methamphetamine use. The two were romantically involved at the time, and Nam explained it as a misunderstanding stemming from a couple’s quarrel. However, public backlash intensified, and the couple was reported to the police by netizens.

Subsequent forensic analysis by the National Forensic Service confirmed the presence of methamphetamine in both Nam Tae-hyun and Seo Min-jae’s hair samples. Despite this, Nam continued to perform abroad, DJ in clubs, and even caused a drunk-driving accident in March 2023—sparking further criticism over his apparent lack of remorse.

Later, Nam admitted to struggling with financial hardship and the aftermath of drug use through several media appearances. In 2024, the court sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years.

However, controversy didn’t end there. He was once again thrust into public debate due to an ongoing dispute with Seo Min-jae, who accused him of dating violence and threatening her with revenge porn. Nam's team denied all allegations, stating they were entirely false.

Now, after a long period of turbulence, Nam Tae-hyun is returning to the stage. Yoon Hyung-bin, head of event organizer Yoonso Group, stated,

“Nam Tae-hyun has shown remorse and expressed how much he misses performing. I carefully offered him this chance, hoping it might help in some small way. He was concerned that many people might still feel uncomfortable, but ultimately agreed to reconnect with fans through this small-scale performance.”

In addition to Nam Tae-hyun, the K-pop Week in Hongdae lineup includes MBLAQ’s Seungho, Ryu Phillip, Gunjo Crew, Project7’s Kim Shi-hoo and Kang Hyun-woo, LUN8, former CLC member Yeeun, Lim Young-min, and RB.

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