LCK star Clid released by HLE after suspension for explicit messages

Hanwha Life Esports have terminated the contract of jungler Kim ‘Clid’ Tae-min after the two-time LCK winner was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.

The LCK team announced Clid’s departure in a September 21 call with reporters, according to South Korean news outlet Naver, confirming that the 24-year-old jungler is no longer tied to the organization.

The news comes just weeks after the LCK suspended Clid for 12 months following an investigation into multiple allegations of what has been described as sexual harassment levied against the player in the summer.

In June, several women accused Clid of sending them explicit messages via Kakao Talk (a Korean messaging app) and Facebook. One of them claimed that she was still a minor at the time of the event in 2022.

Hanwha Life Esports responded to the allegations by suspending Clid from the team and replacing him with Jo ‘Grizzly’ Seung-hoon. HLE went on to finish the Summer Split in fourth place and the LCK Regional Finals in third place, missing out on a spot at Worlds 2023.

The results of the LCK’s investigation were announced only on September 4. According to the league’s findings, there were instances where it was clear that the women did not tolerate Clid’s behavior and expressed their refusal. Moreover, the LCK said that making sexual remarks to a minor “is unacceptable under any circumstances.”

Clid, who had a contract with HLE until November 20, is effectively banned from all LoL esports activity for 12 months as the ban also applies to leagues from other regions.

In addition, Korea’s Esports Fairness Committee has banned him for 18 months, meaning that the jungler will have to move to another region if he plans to return to action in 2025.

Clid has yet to respond to the outcome of the investigation or reveal his future plans. The 24-year-old was once regarded as one of the best junglers in the world, reaching the playoffs of three consecutive world championships (2019-2021) during his time on T1 and Gen.G.