Taeyil, a member of the SM Entertainment idol group NCT (real name Moon Taeyil), is facing a second trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a drunken woman with an acquaintance. The prosecution appealed the first trial's decision. Previously, Taeyil and two acquaintances were sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison each and were taken into custody.
On the 15th, the prosecution submitted an appeal to the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 26, which was presided over by Director General Lee Hyun-gyeong. Additionally, Lee and Hong, who were indicted alongside Taeyil, submitted their appeals to the same court on the same day. However, Taeyil has not yet submitted his appeal.
Earlier, on the 10th, the first trial sentenced Taeyil and two other defendants, who were indicted on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (aggravated rape), to 3 years and 6 months in prison each and took them into custody.
According to the prosecution, on June 13 last year at a bar in Itaewon, Taeyil and two acquaintances met a female foreign tourist (the victim) for the first time and drank with her. They then took the victim, who had lost consciousness due to intoxication, to one of the acquaintances' houses and sexually assaulted her.
In February, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted Taeyil and two accomplices without detention on charges of aggravated rape under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act. The aggravated rape charges apply when two or more individuals engage in sexual intercourse with someone in a state of helplessness.
Taeyil and his two acquaintances acknowledged all charges during the first trial, which took place on June 18. However, they requested the court to consider their voluntary confession and the fact that they reached a settlement with the victim and received a statement of non-prosecution.
However, the prosecution stated, "The defendants collectively raped a foreign female tourist, making this a very serious case and the nature of the crime extremely poor, and it is questionable whether this is a genuine confession," and sought a 7-year prison sentence for each of the three.