Former NCT member Taeil indicted for sexual assault without detention
Former NCT member Moon Taeil has been indicted without detention on charges of allegedly sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman.
Legal sources, cited by The Korea Times, said the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Women and Children's Crime Investigation Division 1 formally charged the 30-year-old K-pop star and two other accomplices under the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
This came after the Seoul Bangbae Police Station, which received the report in June 2024, applied for their warrants.
However, it was denied by the court as "they had admitted to the crime, reducing the need for detention."
In August of that year, local authorities summoned Taeil for questioning.
While his alleged accomplices attended the prosecution's investigation, Taeil failed to respond to the summons due to health problems, with his legal team submitting medical documents and a statement from his lawyer.
Reports also said that the suspects claimed the crime was unplanned.
The K-pop star, whose real name is Moon Tae-il, debuted with NCT in April 2016 and was part of sub-units NCT U and NCT 127. He has been on hiatus since August 2023 following a motorcycle accident injury.
It was on Aug. 28, 2024, when he departed from the K-pop group following a "criminal case related to a sexual crime." During that time, his agency stated that the issue was "very serious," making them decide to remove him from the boy band.
"We have recently confirmed that Taeil has been implicated in a criminal case related to sexual crimes," the statement read, translated from Korean by entertainment outlet Koreaboo.
"While looking into the situation, we recognized that the issue is very serious, and we have decided that Taeil could no longer continue team activities. We have discussed this matter with Taeil, and it has been decided he will be removed from the group."
NCT is composed of 26 members and five sub-units. Taeil's units, NCT 127 and NCT U are known for their songs Cherry Bomb, Kick It, Regular, 2 Baddies, Baggy Jeans, Make A Wish, and BOSS, to name a few.
