Taeil was questioned at the Bangbae Police Station in Seoul and was transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 12th of last month. Prosecutors have reportedly yet to summon Taeil.
According to the investigation, Taeil, along with two acquaintances, was accused of sexually assaulting a drunk woman in June. He was first summoned for questioning on August 28, two months after the accusation.
It is known that Taeil's two accomplices are not celebrities.
The crime of rape in a special degree will be established when a person possesses a weapon, or when two or more people together commit a crime against a person who is unable to resist, causing physical or mental harm.
If the charge is admitted, the offender will be sentenced to at least seven years in prison, or life imprisonment under Article 4, Section 1 of the Special Act on Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
Management company SM Entertainment only released an official statement after Taeil appeared at the police station: “We confirm that Taeil has been charged in a criminal case related to sexual crimes.
Realizing the severity of the situation, we concluded that he could no longer continue his activities with the group, and after discussing with Taeil, he decided to leave NCT."
Fans expressed their disappointment and said that if Taeil's crimes were so serious that he had to withdraw from the group immediately, the company should quickly reveal the details. But SM has yet to comment further on the situation.
Fans demanded a severe punishment for Taeil as the incident had a clear victim. Many of the male idol's fans called for a boycott, sharing videos of Taeil cutting up his photo cards and souvenirs on social media.
Moon Taeil debuted in April 2016 as a member of the boy group NCT U - a sub-unit of NCT under SM Entertainment. Together with the group, Taeil achieved a certain popularity, especially in the Japanese and Chinese markets. He later joined another sub-unit of NCT, NCT 127.
