🇰🇷 Former NCT Singer Taeil Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Prison for Rape of Chinese Tourist
South Korean singer Moon Tae-il, known professionally as Taeil and formerly a member of the popular K-pop group NCT, has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for rape.
The 31-year-old, along with two accomplices identified in local media as Lee and Hong, admitted to taking turns raping an unconscious Chinese tourist in a Seoul residence after meeting her at a bar in Itaewon, a nightlife hotspot in the capital.
The Seoul District Court described the assault as "extremely grave" but handed down only half of the seven-year sentence requested by prosecutors, citing the fact that all three were first-time offenders.
Alongside the prison term, the men were ordered to complete 40 hours of a treatment programme for sex offenders.
⚖️ Aggravated and Quasi Rape
Under South Korean law, this case qualifies as “aggravated rape” due to the group nature of the attack, and as a “quasi rape” because the victim was unconscious due to intoxication.
According to the court, Taeil and his associates approached the woman at a bar where they drank together. She became “heavily intoxicated,” after which they escorted her into a taxi to Lee’s home, where the assault occurred.
🎤 Fall from Grace
Taeil, once a prominent member of NCT, a band known for pushing genre boundaries and achieving international success, left the group in August 2024 when initial allegations surfaced—though the nature of the crime was not yet public.
NCT, short for “Neo Culture Technology,” debuted under SM Entertainment in 2016 and quickly became a global K-pop phenomenon with sub-units and chart-topping releases.