Former NCT member Taeyong sentenced to 3.5 years for gang sexual assault; his appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court.
December/27/2025 12:31
Taeyong, who was a member of NCT, has confirmed a prison sentence of 3 years and 6 months for the charge of gang sexual assault. On December 27, according to the legal community, on the 26th, the Supreme Court's First Division (Chief Justice Seo Kyung-hwan) dismissed the appeal submitted by Taeyong and two accomplices who were indicted for special quasi-rape under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act. As a result, Taeyong will serve 3 years and 6 months in prison. They also received a 30-hour sexual violence treatment program and a 5-year employment restriction order related to children, youth, and disabled persons. Taeyong met the victim, a Chinese woman, by chance with two friends at a bar in Itaewon around 2:33 AM on June 13, 2024, after drinking. They moved the victim to a residence in Banpo-dong by taxi. After that, from around 4:00 to 4:30 AM, they gang-raped the woman, who was unconscious due to heavy intoxication. As a result, Taeyong left NCT, and his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment was terminated. SM Entertainment stated, 'We recently confirmed that Taeyong was indicted in a criminal case related to sexual crimes. We recognized that the case was quite serious and judged that he could no longer continue team activities. After discussions with Taeyong, we decided on his departure from the group.' During the first trial, which began in June of last year, Taeyong and the two accomplices admitted to their charges. Taeyong expressed, 'I am truly sorry to everyone who feels disappointed in me,' and stated, 'If you can forgive me, I will do my best to live while contributing to society in some way, as I believe this is the last opportunity given to me in my life.' The first trial court sentenced them to 3 years and 6 months in prison and detained them. At that time, the court reprimanded, 'The victim suffered significant mental pain as a foreign tourist who fell victim to a crime in an unfamiliar place.' After the first trial, both sides appealed, but the second trial court dismissed all appeals and upheld the original ruling. This time, the appeal was also dismissed, confirming the prison sentence.
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