Moon Tae-il, a former member of the K-pop boy group NCT, has been indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman along with two acquaintances, according to a report by the Chosun Ilbo on Oct. 7. The 30-year-old, known by his stage name Taeil, was interrogated at the Seoul Bangbae Police Station on special quasi-rape charges and was subsequently referred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office on Sept. 12. The prosecution has yet to summon him for questioning.
Moon was reported to the police for the alleged sexual assault in June and was questioned for the first time two months later, on Aug. 28. None of the acquaintances involved are celebrities.
Special quasi-rape involves committing aggravated sexual assault using a weapon or when two or more individuals collectively attack a victim who is incapacitated and unable to resist. If convicted, Moon could face a minimum sentence of seven years in prison or even life imprisonment under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
SM Entertainment, Moon’s management agency, issued a statement after he appeared for questioning, confirming that “Taeil has been accused of a serious criminal sexual offense,” adding, “Recognizing the severity of the situation, we decided he could no longer continue team activities and agreed to part ways.”
Fans argued that if the crime is serious enough for the agency to discuss his withdrawal immediately, the details should be made public, but SM Entertainment has not commented on the matter.
Fans demanded strict punishment given the clear victim, criticizing him: “Is it really that hard not to commit a crime?” Some even protested by sharing videos of themselves cutting up Moon’s photo card merchandise on social media.
Moon debuted in April 2016 as a member of SM Entertainment’s boy group NCT under the subunit NCT U, gaining popularity in Japan and China, and later joined another subunit, NCT 127.
