Prosecution seeks 7-year sentence for ex-NCT member Taeil for rape

Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded a seven-year prison sentence for Taeil, a former member of K-pop boy band NCT, and two accomplices for the rape of a heavily intoxicated woman, with the court scheduling the sentencing hearing for 2 p.m. on July 10.

During the final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, the prosecution requested that the court sentence Taeil and his co-defendants, identified by their surnames Lee and Hong, to seven years in prison each. They also sought a court-ordered treatment program for the defendants, the release of their personal details and a restriction on employment involving minors for 10 years.

“The defendants gang-raped a foreign tourist in an unfamiliar situation, making this a very serious crime that demonstrates extremely poor character,” prosecutors said.

All three defendants, including Taeil, admitted to the charges during Wednesday’s hearing. When asked by the court if he acknowledged the allegations, Taeil replied briefly, “I admit to all the charges.”

Taeil and the other two are accused of raping a Chinese national tourist who was too intoxicated to stand in Lee’s residence in Bangbae-dong, Seocho District, southern Seoul, around 4 a.m. on June 13 of last year.

According to the indictment, the defendants met the victim by chance at a bar in Itaewon around 2:33 a.m. the same day. When the woman became heavily intoxicated, they put her in a taxi and took her to Lee’s home, where they committed the crime.

After the assault, they moved the victim to a different location and sent her away in a taxi. Hong was found to have texted Lee at the time, saying, “Go out and put her in a cab. Make sure it’s a different place [from your home].”

Prosecutors said that “the suspects appeared to have intentionally used the fact that the victim was a foreigner to prevent her from remembering the location of the assault or helping police trace the crime.”

The case was investigated by the Bangbae Police Precinct in Seocho District in southern Seoul, which identified the suspects through interviews and CCTV analysis. The police then carried out a search warrant at their residences. Lee and Hong submitted written statements of self-surrender on Aug. 20, and Taeil did so on Aug. 28.

Prosecutors said, “It took the police two months of relentless investigation to identify the suspects and execute search warrants. The subsequent submission of surrender statements raises questions as to whether they can be considered genuine acts of voluntary confession as defined by law.”

They added, “The defendants claim the act was unplanned, but it is questionable whether taking a stranger to a villa in Bangbae-dong at 2 a.m. makes any sense. If the crime was unplanned, there was no reason to act in such a way.”

Taeil’s lawyer said, “The defendant is acutely aware of the deep scar he has inflicted on the victim’s life and is deeply remorseful. He had no intention of committing the crime and only planned to drink more after leaving the bar.”

In his final statement, Taeil said, “I most deeply regret and feel sorry for the harm I caused the victim. I also apologize to everyone who was disappointed in me. If given leniency, I will consider it my last chance in life and do my best to contribute to society in any way I can.”

Prosecutors indicted Taeil and the others without detention on charges of “special quasi-rape” under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes on Feb. 28.

Special quasi-rape refers to the act of sexual assault or molestation committed by two or more individuals, or by one carrying a weapon, against a person who is unconscious or unable to resist.

Taeil debuted with NCT in 2016 and was active in subunits NCT U and NCT 127. SM Entertainment terminated his exclusive contract in October 2024 following the sexual assault allegations.

BY LEE JI-YOUNG  [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]