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Former NCT member and Kpop idol Taeil has pleaded guilty to ‘aggravated’ rape charges during his first trial. This development comes over a year after the singer was initially accused of the sex crime. As per Korean media reports, prosecutors are seeking a seven-year prison sentence for Taeil, who is also known as Moon Tae-Il. During the trial on June 18, Taeil and two other accused individuals reportedly admitted guilt to the rape charges after the prosecution shared the accusations. They had been charged with aggravated rape and sexually assaulting an intoxicated foreign woman in June 2024.

According to a report in Koreaboo, legal sources confirmed that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Women and Children's Crime Investigation Division 1 summoned Moon along with two other accomplices on February 28, 2025. Admitting to the crime, Taeil appealed for leniency and reportedly said, "I submitted a confession to the police, and I also received a non-punishment petition because I reached a difficult agreement with the victim, who is Chinese." The prosecution further stated, "It is difficult to accept the claim that it was an accidental crime. If you look at the contents of the group room texts, there are contents such as recognising that the victim is a foreigner and asking the taxi to be photographed somewhere other than the place of the crime to avoid being traced."

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About Taeil’s Crime

The prosecution detailed the assault, specifying that on June 13, 2024, around 2:33 AM, Taeil and other accused were at an Itaewon bar. After drinking, they forced the unconscious and intoxicated victim into a taxi and took her to one of the defendants' residences in Seoul's Bangbae district. Between 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM, they collectively raped her.

The prosecution, according to a report in Maeil Business newspaper, further said, "The defendants are considering taking into account the sentencing with their own letters, but it is difficult to say that this is a true surrender. After two months of police investigation, the defendants were identified and raided, and after that, they submitted their own letters."

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Netizens' Reaction to Taeil’s Crime

Ever since Taeil's trial details got revealed, social media users have expressed anger on X, especially over Taeil's attitude hours after committing the crime. One user wrote, "Reading this paragraph alone disgust me. They even had a group text discuss about the crime like WTF!!!" Another user added, "no remorse or anything and was even seen drinking with his friends ahead of his trial but have the audacity to ask for leniency??" While many asked for "no mercy," others said, "Absolutely horrifying. No amount of settlement or apology can undo the trauma inflicted. Accountability must go beyond legal loopholes this is about justice, not image repair." A comment also read, "This case is deeply disturbing. Admitting guilt doesn’t erase the trauma caused. Justice must prioritise the victim’s voice and safety above all."

Meanwhile, SM Entertainment on August 28, 2024, also announced that Taeil would no longer be part of NCT, the same day the case was disclosed. The reason it reportedly cited then was an unspecified sex crime. Following this Kpop idol Taeil was also removed as an artist from the company. The former Kpop star was, however, not nabbed by the police once the investigation began. It has also been noted that a day after the crime, Taeil interacted with his fans on his Instagram through a live session for his birthday. He even played piano and giggled while discussing his future plans.

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