The fate of Moon Tae-il (stage name TAEIL, 31), a former member of the group NCT, who is accused of gang raping a woman, will be decided by the court today.
The 26th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Ryu Sung-yeol) will hold a sentencing hearing at 2 PM today for Moon Tae-il and three other defendants, who are charged with violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (special rape).
Moon Tae-il is accused of raping a foreign woman who was in a state of extreme intoxication near Itaewon, Seoul, last June, along with accomplices.
At the final hearing, the prosecution requested a 7-year prison sentence for Moon Tae-il, citing the seriousness of the case and the extremely poor nature of the crime. They also requested that he complete a sexual violence treatment program, be subject to a public disclosure order, and an employment restriction order.
Moon Tae-il admitted to all charges and expressed remorse in his final statement, saying, "I regret and am sorry for the significant harm I caused the victim." He continued, "I apologize to everyone who felt disappointed, and I see this as my last chance to live a life that contributes positively to society."
Moon Tae-il's legal representative also submitted a non-prosecution request agreed upon with the victim and a confession letter filed two months after the incident, arguing, "While we take the gravity of this case seriously, it was an incident that occurred after drinking and physical contact with the co-defendants, without premeditation but rather under the influence of alcohol."
SM Entertainment terminated its exclusive contract with Moon Tae-il in August of last year after belatedly becoming aware of the incident, and Moon Tae-il was also expelled from the group NCT.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)