Court finalizes prison sentence for former NCT member Taeil

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Former NCT member Taeil has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison after he was found guilty of sexual assault.

South Korea's Supreme Court on Friday finalized a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Taeil and his associates, Lee and Hong, after dismissing their appeal in a special quasi-rape case.

Beyond the prison term, the three will face a five-year employment ban at youth and disability-related institutions and must undergo 30 hours of sexual violence rehabilitation.

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.