The 31-year-old ex-Kpop idol was found guilty of special quasi-rape under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. In South Korea, quasi-rape is defined as engaging in sexual intercourse while exploiting the victim’s unconsciousness or inability to resist. Unlike the common “rape” charge, quasi-rape applies when the perpetrator has taken advantage of the victim’s situation, which may involve them being unconscious or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Following the court’s ruling, the three men were detained immediately and will be required to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence prevention program. According to the Seoul Central District Court, The defendants took turns committing sexual acts against the victim, who was severely intoxicated and unable to resist. The nature of the crime is particularly grave.
The court also noted that the victim, a Chinese tourist, likely suffered significant psychological distress after being assaulted in an unfamiliar environment.
Read some parts of the prosecution’s indictment below:
The three defendants, including Taeil, were friends and met the victim, a Chinese woman, by chance at a club in Itaewon at around 2:33 AM on June 13th, drank alcohol together, and then dragged the victim, put her in a taxi, and took her to the defendants’ villa in Bangbae-dong. After that, from 4 AM to 4:30 AM that same day, they gang-raped the victim while she was lying down unconscious from drinking.
If you look at the group chat texts, there are contents such as the victim being a foreigner and asking for the taxi location to be recorded somewhere other than the crime scene in order to avoid tracking.
The defendants were claiming that the crime was committed accidentally, but it is highly questionable whether it is reasonable to take a Chinese female tourist they had just met to a villa in Bangbae-dong at 2 AM to drink more alcohol after having been out and about in Itaewon. If they had not planned the crime, there would have been no reason to act in such a way.
However, the court considered that all three defendants were first-time offenders who admitted their guilt. They have also reached a settlement with the victim, who no longer wishes to pursue criminal charges. Last month, prosecutors had sought a seven-year sentence for the defendants, and Taeil admitted to all charges during the initial hearing.
The incident occurred in June 2024 when Taeil and his accomplices met the woman at a bar in Itaewon. In October of the same year, SM Entertainment announced Taeil’s departure from NCT and the agency due to the seriousness of the case.
