Former singer Moon Tae-Il, known on stage as Taeil and once a part of NCT, has acknowledged his culpability for grave rape charges. The confession came during the initial trial, which took place over a year after the initial accusations relating to sexual assault were formally levied against him. Legal authorities indicated that a punishment of seven years in prison could potentially be given to Taeil, aligning with the gravity of the crime committed.
Detailed legal reports provided by reliable sources from within the industry confirmed that the Women and Children’s Crime Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office issued a formal indictment against Moon Tae-Il and two additional individuals on February 28, 2025. The three accused stand charged with the violent sexual assault of a foreign woman under the influence of alcohol in June 2024.
The court session witnessed Taeil and his co-accused confessing their guilt for the rape. Their admission came after the prosecution presented detailed accusations against them. Following this, the prosecution proposed a seven-year imprisonment sentence for each individual involved. This reiterates the seriousness of the charges and the magnitude of the crime.
Upon accepting his part in the crime, Taeil requested a reduced sentence. He stated, ‘I have already given my confession to the police, and also received a non-punishment petition after a complicated negotiation procedure with the victim, who is of Chinese origin.’
However, the prosecution was not convinced by the plea for leniency, asserting that dismissing the incident as a fortuitous crime would be challenging. The prosecutors highlighted some shocking discoveries in their investigation, such as text messages that not only acknowledged the victim’s foreigner status but also showed an attempt to dupe law enforcement by intentionally misleading the taxi drop-off location.
The prosecution’s argument included clarifying details of the assault and providing specific information about the victim. The timing of the crucial events that shaped the outcome was also brought into focus. Taeil and the other defendants were location pinged at a bar in Itaewon on the early morning of June 13, 2024, specifically around 2:33 am.
As the narrative continued, they revealed that post a shared inebriation, the defendants forced the victim to leave with them in a taxi and directed the vehicle towards a house belonging to one of them. The house, located in the Bangbae district of Seoul, became the site for the heinous crime committed next.
Details of the grimly brutal act against the inebriated and unconscious victim emerged during the court proceedings. It was confirmed that between 4:00 am to 4:30 am, the victim was subjected to collective sexual assault by the accused men.
The prosecution shared insight into their contemplation of sentencing, which involved considering the defendants’ penned letters. Yet, they stated it was hard to accept this as a genuine gesture of remorse or admission of guilt. The letters only emerged after two months of police investigations, identification of the defendants, and subsequent raids.
Asia’s renowned entertainment company, SM Entertainment, publicized on August 28, 2024, that Taeil’s association with the famed band NCT had been dissolved. This announcement was made the same day when the case details were first released to the public. The company cited undisclosed sex crime charges as the primary reason.
In an additional blow to Taeil’s music career, the singer was also severed from SM Entertainment as an artist. This drastic decision is a stark testament to the company’s stance against such serious criminal activities, thus putting an end to Taeil’s once-promising career in the entertainment industry.