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Former NCT member Moon Taeil appeared in court on June 18, 2025, for the first trial in a serious criminal case involving the aggravated rape of an intoxicated Chinese woman. Taeil stood trial alongside two male acquaintances, with the case stemming from an incident that took place in June 2024. The case has been under investigation for nearly a year.
During the trial at the Seoul Central District Court, Taeil’s legal team asked the court for a lighter sentence. They explained that Taeil had fully cooperated with the police and had even reached a private settlement with the victim. His lawyer stated that Taeil had voluntarily turned himself in to authorities and that the victim had written a letter asking that he not be punished further. The defense presented these actions as evidence that Taeil was remorseful and taking responsibility for his actions.
However, the prosecution disagreed with this narrative. They questioned the timing of Taeil’s so-called self-surrender, pointing out that he only came forward after finding out he was under investigation. They argued that this doesn’t qualify as true voluntary cooperation. The prosecutors emphasized how serious the crime was and said that a private agreement with the victim should not affect the punishment. They also claimed that the assault was pre-planned. Evidence presented in court included messages between the defendants, which mentioned the victim’s foreign nationality and efforts to manipulate GPS data on a taxi app to confuse investigators about where the crime had taken place.
The incident reportedly began when Taeil and his two friends met the victim at a bar in Itaewon during the early hours of June 13, 2024. Although the victim didn’t know any of the men before that night, they all drank together. Around 2:30 a.m., the woman, who was very drunk, was taken by the three men in a taxi to a residence in Bangbae-dong, Seoul. Prosecutors allege that between 4:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., the three men sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. Security camera footage and digital data from phones helped investigators piece together the timeline of the events.
Police reportedly took about two months to gather enough evidence, including CCTV footage and text conversations between the suspects, to build a strong case. Although the court has not yet delivered its final ruling, a verdict is expected in the coming weeks. Prosecutors have asked for a seven-year prison sentence for Taeil and his two accomplices.