Taeil (former NCT), accused of ”special quasi-rape,” went on a live stream after a sexual crime... Criticism mounts over his brazenness

Taeil, a former member of the South Korean boy group NCT who was sent to prosecution on suspicion of sexual offences, has come under fire for his unconcerned live broadcasts after the incident.

　On the 7th, a Korean media outlet reported that Taeil was sent to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 12th September after being investigated by the Seoul Bangbae Police Station on suspicion of special quasi-rape.

　According to the report, Taeil was suspected of sexually assaulting a woman who was drunk in June this year, together with two acquaintances. The special quasi-rape offence applied to Tae-il is committed when he possesses a weapon or commits adultery with two or more persons who are incapable of resisting due to mental or physical incapacity, etc. If the suspect is found guilty, he will be sentenced to seven years or more imprisonment or life imprisonment according to Article 4(1) of the Special Act on Punishment of Sexual Assault Crimes in Korea.

　Earlier, the police had revealed that they had made a case against Taeil after receiving a report from the victim on the 13th June. Subsequently, on the 28th of last month, Taeil received his first police summons investigation, and on this day, his agency SM Entertainment (SM) issued a public notice of Taeil's withdrawal from NCT, stating that they had confirmed the fact that Taeil was accused in a criminal case related to sexual offences.

　Until then, the specific charges against Taeil were not known, but it was reported that he was accused of special semi-rape. In response, his agency clarified its position, saying that it was difficult to say as the matter was currently under investigation.

　As it was known that he was accused of specialised semi-rape, Taeil must have known that his actions were a serious crime. However, on the 14th June, the day after Taeil was reported to the police for committing a sexual offence, he was again in the spotlight for a video he broadcast live on social networking sites.

　At the time, Taeil thanked his fans for celebrating his birthday and said, "Thanks to all of you, I was able to have such a happy birthday." Although he was unaware that he had been charged with a sexual offence, his nonchalant way of thanking his fans for their support after committing a sexual offence angered not only his fans but also net-users, who commented that he was "brazen" and "Don't you think about the victims? He has no conscience."

　While Taeil has not yet been summoned for investigation by the prosecution for the alleged group sexual assault, there is a lot of interest in what punishment will be handed down to him in the future.