South Korean Court Rejects K-Pop Singer Taeil's Appeal In Gang Rape Case

An appeal filed after K-pop singer Taeil and two other individuals were given three and a half years in prison for raping a Chinese tourist has been denied by a South Korean court.

The original sentence handed to Taeil and his friends - Lee and Hong, as they are referred to in South Korean media - has been upheld by the Supreme Court, a Chief Justice reportedly told Korean media outlets.

The incident in question happened in 2024, when Taeil - who at the time was a member of the popular boy group NCT, and whose legal name is Moon Tae Il - and his friends met a Chinese tourist at a bar and sexually assaulted her at one of their homes, while she was heavily intoxicated.

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They pleaded guilty to charges of quasi-rape - a term which involves cases where the victim has certain vulnerabilities such as intoxication or a disability that make it difficult for them to resist. The legal definition focuses on the criminal taking vulnerability of the victim, rather than the latter's consent.

After the initial ruling, which was given in July this year, the three perpetrators immediately filed an appeal, which was rejected on December 26, 2025.

The three have also been ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment programme. They are restricted from working at institutions related to children, adolescents, and the disabled for 5 years.

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