Former K-pop Star Moon Tae-il Jailed 3.5 Years for Gang-Rape in Seoul

Moon Tae-il, a 31-year-old K-pop singer formerly of the boy band NCT, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for the aggravated gang rape of a heavily intoxicated Chinese tourist in Seoul. Alongside two accomplices, Moon met the victim in a bar in the Itaewon district before taking her to a residence where the assault occurred while she was unconscious. The court described the crime as extremely grave, emphasizing the victim's significant psychological distress as a foreigner in an unfamiliar environment. In addition to prison time, the convicted men must complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and are banned from working with children or youth-related institutions for five years. Moon was dismissed from NCT in August 2024 following the emergence of the allegations, although details were initially limited. This sentencing coincides with a separate ongoing investigation into a sexual harassment complaint involving a Japanese woman and a member of the K-pop group BTS.