Former NCT member Taeil, who was recently convicted in a gang rape case, has officially filed an appeal. This follows the prosecution’s earlier decision to contest the ruling as well, setting the stage for a second round of legal proceedings.
On July 15, prosecutors submitted an appeal to the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 26, which handled the first trial. According to legal sources on the 16th, Taeil’s two accomplices also filed appeals.
The following day, on July 16, Taeil’s legal representative likewise submitted an appeal, confirming his intent to continue the legal battle.
Details of the Crime and Sentencing
On July 10, the Seoul Central District Court found Taeil and his two accomplices guilty of aggravated quasi-rape under the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Each was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and was taken into custody immediately following the verdict.
The court also ordered:
- 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program
- A five-year ban on working in institutions related to children and adolescents
In its ruling, the court acknowledged that while the defendants had confessed, this occurred after sufficient evidence had already been gathered and their identities confirmed. The court stated:
“Although the defendants turned themselves in and admitted to the crime, by then, objective evidence had already been collected and their whereabouts identified. Taking all sentencing factors into account, the court imposes a sentence of three years and six months in prison.”
Incident Summary
According to the prosecution, the incident took place in June 2023. Taeil and his accomplices allegedly raped an intoxicated foreign woman, identified as a tourist visiting South Korea.
At approximately 2:33 a.m., they encountered the victim at a club in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. After drinking with her, they reportedly put the heavily intoxicated woman into a taxi and transported her to one of the accomplices’ residences in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, where they committed the sexual assault.
Following the legal developments and public backlash, Taeil withdrew from NCT. He also terminated his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment, marking a swift and public separation from both the group and the label.