On the afternoon of September 17, South Korea's Naver reported that the Seoul Supreme Court (South Korea) opened the first appeal hearing against former member of NCT Taeil and 2 accomplices.
All three were accused of violating the Special Law on the punishment of Sexual Crimes (special rape), related to the gang rapes that occurred on June 13, 2024 in Itaewon.
Here, Taeil admitted to gang rapes. In his final words, Taeil bowed his head to admit all his mistakes: I ruined the victims life and broke my family. I accept all punishment, will spend the rest of my life to atone and live to the fullest".
The prosecutor proposed a 7-year prison sentence for Taeil. However, Taeil has filed a request for a reduced sentence.
The court is currently reviewing the final ruling in the appeal hearing.
According to the indictment, after meeting and drinking with victim A at a club, Taeil's group followed the victim to a private house in Bangbae-dong and committed the rapist while the victim was drunk and unable to defend himself.
At the July first instance trial, all three were sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison and were arrested in court. However, both the prosecutor and Taeil appealed. The prosecutor proposed a 7-year prison sentence, emphasizing that this was a serious case, causing heavy damage to the victims, and that the first instance sentence was too light.
Meanwhile, Taeil's lawyer argued that the crime was not pre-calculated, saying that the setting of the incident only stemmed from drinking alcohol with the victim. The defendant also stated the difficult situation after the incident: Taeil was forced to leave NCT, terminate his contract with SM Entertainment, and work part-time at a restaurant before being detained. Taeil's family, especially his mother, was also severely affected.
The incident continues to shook the Korean public, sparking controversy over the legal responsibility and ethics of idols in the entertainment industry.
Taeil was born in 1994, debuted as a member of NCT's first small group, NCT U in 2016. After that, he continued to work as a member of NCT and NCT 127.
