K-pop Singer Taeil Sentenced to Three Years, Six Months for Rape

Moon Taeil, 31, a former member of the popular K-pop group NCT, has been handed a prison sentence of three years and six months for rape by a Seoul district court.

On Thursday, Taeil and two accomplices, identified only as Lee and Hong, were found guilty of sexually assaulting a Chinese tourist in what the judge described as an “extremely grave” case. Taeil had pleaded guilty last month.

The court heard that the three men met the victim at a bar in Seoul’s Itaewon district, where they drank together until she became “heavily intoxicated.” They later took her by taxi to Lee’s home, where the assault occurred.

Under South Korean law, the crime was classified as “aggravated rape” due to the involvement of multiple perpetrators, and “quasi rape” because the victim was unconscious and unable to resist.

Although prosecutors requested a seven-year sentence, the judge reduced the punishment, taking into account the defendants’ clean criminal records. Alongside prison terms, the court mandated all three men to complete a 40-hour treatment program for sexual violence offenders.

Moon Taeil departed from NCT in August 2023 following the emergence of the allegations. The group, known for its experimental sound and international acclaim, debuted in 2016 under SM Entertainment.