Former NCT member Taeil, who was convicted and detained in court for aggravated rape, has received the same prison sentence in his appeal trial.
On October 17, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 11-3 (Judges Park Young Joo, Park Jae Woo, and Jung Moon Kyung) upheld the three years and six months prison sentence previously handed down to Taeil under the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and Protection of Victims.
The court also ordered Taeil to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and imposed a five-year employment restriction at institutions related to children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities.
During the appeal, Taeil’s legal team argued for a reduction in sentence, claiming that he had voluntarily turned himself in. However, the court rejected this argument, stating, “The defendant claimed he surrendered himself, but he had also testified that he was unaware of the criminal charges until the search of his residence,” and added, “Just because other cases have recognized voluntary surrender as a mitigating factor does not mean the same applies here.”
The bench further explained, “After reviewing all the sentencing factors, the punishment in the original ruling cannot be considered excessively light or heavy, nor outside the bounds of judicial discretion.”
In the first trial, the court had found Taeil guilty of sexually assaulting an intoxicated foreign woman who was incapable of resistance, describing the act as “extremely grave in nature.” The judgment stated, “The victim, a foreign tourist, likely suffered severe psychological trauma from being assaulted in an unfamiliar country.”
Taeil, along with two acquaintances identified as Mr. Lee and Mr. Hong, was accused of sexually assaulting an intoxicated foreign woman in June 2023. He was first questioned by police in August 2023.
Following the investigation, his former agency SM Entertainment announced Taeil’s departure from his group, stating, “Given the seriousness of the matter, we have determined that he can no longer continue group activities.”
In July, the lower court sentenced Taeil to three years and six months in prison and ordered his immediate detention. His co-defendants, Lee and Hong, received identical sentences and were also taken into custody.
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