Court upholds former K-pop idol Taeil's 3.5-year prison sentence for sexual assault

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault. 

The appellate court upheld the prison sentence imposed on former K-pop idol Moon Taeil and his two other co-accused for sexual assault.

Taeil's camp lost its appeal to reduce the prison sentence earlier given by the Seoul Central District Court. According to a report by K-media outlet Soompi, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 11-3 on Oct. 17 has sentenced Taeil, his accomplices Lee and Hong to three years and six months in prison, the same term imposed at the first trial. 

The three were indicted for aggravated quasi-rape under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

Per the report, the appellate court found no errors in the lower court's judgment. It also dismissed the defendants' claim that their voluntary surrender should be considered a mitigating factor in their sentencing.

The court also affirmed the earlier order that three must complete 40 hours of a sex offender treatment program and will be under a five-year ban from working at institutions related to children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities.

The charges came from the incident in June 2024 when Taeil and his accomplices sexually assaulted an intoxicated foreign woman in Lee's residence while she was unconscious. 

In June of this year, the defendants admitted to the charges. The former idol asked for leniency and, if granted, said he would consider it the "last chance" of his life to contribute to society.

Taeil debuted with NCT in April 2016 and was part of sub-units NCT U and NCT 127. He went on hiatus in August 2023 following a motorcycle accident injury.

In October 2024, SM Entertainment terminated its contract with Taeil amid sexual assault allegations.