3.5 Years For Gang Rape! Taeil's 'Short' Sentence Sparks Outrage, Netizens Say 'This Is Beyond Disgusting'

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Women and Children’s Crime Investigation Division 1 indicted South Korean singer Taeil and his two accomplices on February 28, 2025, on charges of aggravated rape under the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. They were accused of sexually assaulting an intoxicated foreign woman in June 2024. After accusations surfaced, Taeil also exited his band NCT or Neo Culture Technology in August 2024.

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Taeil and the two accomplices admitted guilt to the aggravated rape. Prosecution demanded a seven-year prison sentence for each of the perpetrators. But, the defense shared that Taeil and the victim had reached a settlement and requested leniency in the sentencing. On July 10, Taeil was taken into custody after being sentenced to 3 years and six months in jail, half of the seven years initially requested. This sparked immediate outrage on social media, with many pointing out that the sentence for "gang rape" should have been longer for Taeil and the other accused.

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"Only 3?" commented one. Another one said, "3 years only? Such a shame." An X user noted, "3 years and 6 months for gang raping a woman and permanently scarring her life??? There is no justice for women."

Taeil was part of NCT, or Neo Culture Technology, a globally popular South Korean boy band that debuted in 2016. The group currently has over two dozen members divided into several subunits, including NCT 127, NCT Dream, and NCT Wish. Taeil was active in NCT 127 before he was thrown out of the group for committing sexual crime.