NCT’s Taeil appeals trial: K-Pop Idol faces rape conviction in Seoul Court — what we know so far

Former NCT member Taeil will return to court this September, facing an appeals trial in the group sexual assault case that has drawn intense public outrage. Taeil, along with two acquaintances, is charged with aggravated quasi-rape under South Korea’s Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, as noted by AllKPop.

According to the Seoul High Court, the first hearing is set for September 17 KST—nearly two months after the appeal was filed.

The case first came to light in June 2024, when a female foreign national reported Taeil for sexual assault. Investigators say Taeil and his two friends took the heavily intoxicated victim from a bar in Itaewon to a private residence in Banpo-dong, where they raped her while she was unconscious.

Police questioned Taeil in August, and by March 2025, he was indicted without detention. While the court rejected early arrest warrants—pointing to the men’s admission of the crime and low flight risk—July’s first trial handed down prison sentences of 3 years and 6 months for all three. The court also mandated 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and issued a 5-year employment ban in fields involving children and adolescents. Prosecutors had originally sought a 7-year sentence for Taeil, along with disclosure of his personal information and restrictions on employment. Both sides appealed the ruling, leading to the upcoming retrial.

SM Entertainment cut ties with Taeil on October 15, 2024, saying: “Taeil is currently under criminal investigation, which constitutes grounds for contract termination. Trust has been irrevocably broken.”

During his final defense, Taeil himself stated: “I deeply regret the harm caused to the victim and sincerely apologize to everyone I’ve disappointed.” His legal team noted that Taeil had completed sexual violence prevention programs, undergone psychological counseling, and sent an apology through the victim’s court-appointed attorney. They further argued that the victim had expressed she did not want punishment. Prosecutors, however, questioned both the timing and sincerity of his “self-surrender” and apology.

Prosecutors painted a stronger picture, noting the crime was carefully premeditated: “The suspects planned their actions and tried to avoid detection, instructing each other to manipulate the taxi’s GPS data. This was not an impulsive crime.” They stressed the severity, underscoring the international dimension and calculated nature of the assault: “This was a gang rape committed against a foreign tourist. The defendants deliberately took her to a different location after meeting her at a club. This is a grave offense with extremely poor moral character.”