Taeyil, who was sentenced to prison and detained on charges of special rape, is heading to an appeal trial. This is due to the prosecution's appeal.
According to a confirmation by Maeil Business Star Today on the 16th, the prosecution and the two other individuals indicted alongside Taeyil for special rape under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act submitted an appeal to the court the day before. Taeyil's side's appeal has not yet been confirmed.
Previously, on the 10th, the 26th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Hyun-kyung) sentenced Taeyil and two others, who committed sexual violence crimes, to 3 years and 6 months in prison. They were also ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and received a 5-year employment restriction order related to child and youth institutions. As a result, Taeyil, who was undergoing trial without detention, was taken into custody in court.
The court stated, "The defendants took advantage of the victim being incapacitated due to intoxication to engage in sexual intercourse at their residence, which reflects poorly on their character. The victim, being a foreign woman, likely suffered significant mental distress," and added, "However, we took into account that the defendants are first-time offenders, acknowledged their crimes, and that the victim does not wish for punishment due to a settlement."
Before the first trial verdict, the prosecution sought a sentence of 7 years in prison and a 10-year employment restriction for the defendants, including Taeyil. The prosecution pointed out, "While the defendants submitted a confession letter considering sentencing, it is difficult to view this as a genuine confession," and noted, "After two months of police investigation, the defendants were identified, leading to a search and seizure, after which they submitted the confession letter."
Before the sentencing, Taeyil expressed in his final statement, "I deeply regret and apologize for the pain I caused the victim. I also apologize to everyone who felt disappointed by this incident. If given leniency, I consider it the last opportunity in my life and will do my best to contribute to society in any way possible," bowing his head.
Taeyil is accused of raping a woman who was intoxicated along with two acquaintances in June of last year. The Women's and Children's Crime Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Ji-hye) indicted Taeyil and two accomplices on charges of special rape under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act in February.
Despite being accused of sexual crimes, Taeyil concealed this fact and proceeded with comeback activities. It was revealed that he conducted a live broadcast on SNS and interacted with fans the day after he was charged, on June 14 of last year.
Additionally, two months later, in August, he attended an NCT 127 8th anniversary fan meeting. After his sexual crime became public and controversy arose, his agency announced in mid-August that they had first learned of the incident and that he would be leaving the group along with the termination of his exclusive contract.
Taeyil debuted in 2016 with the first NCT unit NCT U and has since been active as a member of NCT and NCT 127.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
