Ex-NCT member Taeil's appeal gets denied; singer continues to be serve 3 years and 6 months sentence on sexual assault charge 

Former NCT member Taeil’s appeal against his prison sentence has been officially denied. South Korea’s Supreme Court made the final decision on December 26, 2025. This ruling confirms that Taeil will continue serving his original sentence of three years and six months in prison.

Taeil, whose real name is Moon Tae-il, was convicted in a sexual assault case involving an intoxicated foreign tourist. The court found that the victim was unconscious and unable to resist at the time of the crime. He was convicted along with two acquaintances who were involved in the incident.

The Supreme Court’s decision ends a long legal process, including trials at multiple court levels. With the final appeal rejected, the sentence is now legally final. He will remain in prison under the terms set by the lower courts.

Supreme Court upholds Taeil’s prison sentence

A new report issued by Korea Joongang Daily on December 27, 2025, states Supreme Court considered the last appeal made by Taeil and did not detect any mistakes in the previous decisions. Both the appeals court and trial court results were accurate, according to the judgment. They found that the sentence was right in the circumstances of the case.

The legal team of Taeil requested that the Court reduce his sentence. They referred to regrets and alleged reconciliation with the victim. Nevertheless, the court found these reasons not to have more significance than the gravity of the offense. The appeal was denied without additional hearings.

Consequently, he will be serving three years and six months in incarceration. Other punishments that were part of the initial verdict were also enforced by the court. These were required sexual violence treatment and an employment ban.

The decision proved that all the legal requirements were observed in the previous trials. According to the judges, there was no need to appeal the sentence. This ruling completed the penalty, and the case was closed on the court level.

Case Background and Career Impact

The report issued by Korea Joongang Daily states that the crime occurred in June 2024. A foreign tourist was sexually assaulted by two people whom the accused, Taeil, and two friends knew. The prosecutors said that the victim was unconscious and drunk at the time of the incident. This account was received in the court through evidence and testimony.

All three men were convicted of aggravated quasi-rape in July 2025 by the trial court. He was imprisoned for three years and six months. Right after the announcement of the verdict, he was placed under arrest.

The court also sentenced him to do 40 hours of sexual violence education. Moreover, he was prohibited from serving a period of five years in child, adolescent, and people with disabilities related institutions. These were conditions that were stipulated by the character of the crime.

In October 2025, the Seoul High Court listened to submissions of both parties. The prosecutors sought a sentence of seven years as a longer sentence. The defense demanded a lesser sentence. Both appeals were denied, and the initial sentence was affirmed by the court.

After the accusations, he was expelled from SM Entertainment in 2024 from NCT. The agency claimed that the severity of the charges left him unable to carry on with activities. His dismissal was the culmination of his ideal career.

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