Former NCT member Moon Taeil has had his prison sentence upheld after an appeal trial. On October 17, the Seoul High Court rejected both the prosecution’s and defense appeals and sentenced him to three years and six months for a sexual crime under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.
The court described the crime as very serious because the victim was intoxicated and unable to resist. The victim was also a foreigner and experienced significant psychological trauma in an unfamiliar place. Taeil and his accomplices were detained in court after the ruling.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the 31-year-old disgraced K-pop star to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program. Besides that, he was banned from working with children, adolescents, or disabled organizations for five years.
The case began in June 2024 when Taeil and two acquaintances were booked by the police for sexually assaulting a drunk foreign woman. They were first investigated in August, and SM Entertainment, his agency at the time, terminated his contract. The label stated that the seriousness of the case prevented him from continuing activities with the group.
During the appeal trial, Taeil asked for leniency and submitted a letter of reflection, but the court rejected it. The 11-3 Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court emphasized that DNA evidence linked all three men to the victim, so their confessions could not reduce their sentences. The court argued that they would have been identified regardless of their admissions.
Taeil admitted he did not realize he had committed a crime until authorities searched his home. His two accomplices, Lee and Hong, were also sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
The court also reviewed claims that the sentence was too harsh. Both the defense and prosecution submitted appeals arguing that the ruling was unfair. However, the judges concluded that even after considering letters of reflection and petitions from acquaintances, the original sentence was appropriate.
Taeil debuted in 2016 as part of NCT U, the first unit of NCT, and was also active with NCT 127. Following the incident, he was expelled from the group and officially dropped by SM Entertainment. Critics also noted that Taeil continued to engage with fans even after being booked by the police, participating in a live broadcast on June 14 and attending NCT 127’s 8th anniversary fan meeting in August.
