Korean vocalist Moon Taeil pleads guilty to charges of ‘aggravated rape'; everything to know about the case
The K-pop industry is no longer immune to the criminal spotlight. After shocking allegations involving actor Kim Soo-hyun earlier this year, another name followed. Moon Taeil aka Moon Tae-il — former NCT vocalist — now stands at the centre of one of the most disturbing sex scandals in the K-pop world. Here's a complete timeline of the events leading up to Taeil's indictment and the ongoing case.
In a move that stunned fans, SM Entertainment announced on August 28 that Taeil had been implicated in a criminal case related to sexual crime. The agency confirmed his removal from all NCT activities with immediate effect. 'We have recently confirmed that Taeil has been implicated in a criminal case related to sexual crime. While looking into the situation, we recognised that the issue is very serious, and we have decided that Taeil could no longer continue team activities,' read SM's official statement.
A fresh wave of outrage followed when Chosun Ilbo reported that Taeil had been investigated for aggravated rape — a charge categorised in South Korea as Special Quasi-Rape. This crime implies the involvement of more than one perpetrator and a victim unable to resist due to unconsciousness or intoxication. The reports claimed Taeil and two non-celebrity accomplices raped an intoxicated girl, allegedly a foreigner, after meeting her at a bar.
The charge would equate to aggravated rape in most Western legal systems.
According to Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Taeil and his two accomplices were officially indicted on charges of aggravated rape under the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The prosecution alleged the trio sexually assaulted an intoxicated foreign woman in June 2024.
Nearly a year after the incident, the first trial was held on June 18, 2025. Legal documents revealed damning details of the night in question: Taeil and the victim met at a bar in Itaewon at around 2:33 a.m. on June 13, 2024. Along with two accomplices, Taeil forced the woman into a taxi, eventually arriving at one of the defendant's residence in the Bangbae district of Seoul. The group then raped the unconscious victim between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m.
According to prosecutors, this was not a spur-of-the-moment act. Investigators found text messages where Taeil and his friends discussed the victim being a foreigner and even plotted to mislead police by manipulating GPS data. It reportedly took two months for the authorities to track the defendants using CCTV footage.
Taeil's counsel confirmed that the victim was a Chinese national.
During the trial, Taeil and his accomplices admitted guilt. The prosecution demanded a seven-year prison sentence for each of them. Taeil's legal counsel pleaded for leniency: 'Taeil submitted a statement of self-surrender to the police. He also went through the difficult process of reaching an agreement with the victim, who is Chinese, and even received a letter from the victim stating she did not want further punishment levied.'
While Taeil's admission of guilt and the victim's letter may influence sentencing, the gravity of the charges — aggravated rape involving an unconscious foreign woman — has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world. For now, Moon Taeil's story stands as a sobering reminder: no idol is above the law.
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