Moon Taeilwhose stage name is Taeil, was investigated by the police on the charge of aggravated quasi-turnips. Police confirmed on October 7 that he had been investigated over the charge. He was sent for questioning on August 12 to Bangbae Police Station in Seoul and was forwarded to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for investigation, where he is yet to be summoned by the prosecutors.
The probe starts after allegations that Taeil, together with two acquaintances, raped an intoxicated woman in June.Taeil was summoned for interrogation two months later on August 28. According to reports, none of the alleged accomplices is a public figure.
Aggravated quasi-rape refers to sexual assault by two or more persons against a person incapable of resisting such conduct on the grounds of physical power, threat, or other form of intimidation that may carry a term of imprisonment of not less than seven years or a life sentence under Article 4, Section 1 of the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and Other Crimes.
Officially, Taeil had already issued an official statement from SM Entertainment“Taeil has been accused of involvement in a criminal sexual offense” and added, “Recognizing the severity of the matter, we concluded he could no longer continue group activities, and after discussions with Taeil, he decided to withdraw from the team.”
Fans have reacted in outrage over a lack of transparency, suggesting that if the accusations are serious enough to necessitate an immediate withdrawal, the specifics should be shared. Others have demanded strict punishment over an argument that there is a clear victim, and others have responded by posting videos to social media in which they smash Taeil’s merchandise.
The relatively new artist made his debut with the boy group NCT U, a subgroup of SM Entertainment’s NCT, in April 2016. Since then, he has received much attention mainly in Japan and China. Taeil is also a member of NCT 127.
During the period of investigation, Taeil attended public events. For instance, he joined the NCT 127 fan meeting on its 8th anniversary which took place in Seoul on August 3-4 and appeared in a recent album with the group.
Meanwhile, an SM representative responded: “As the investigation is still ongoing, we cannot comment further at this time.”