K-pop singer jailed three and a half years for rape

Taeil, 31, and two accomplices, named in South Korean reports only as Lee and Hong, admitted in June to taking turns assaulting their victim - a Chinese tourist.

A district judge in Seoul described the crime as "extremely grave", but handed them just half the seven-year sentence requested by prosecutors, noting they were first time offenders.

The court also ordered the three men to complete 40 hours of a treatment programme designed for perpetrators of sexual violence.

The court heard they had met their victim at a bar in the Itaewon district in Seoul.

She became "heavily intoxicated" after drinking with them, the court heard. They then got into a taxi to Lee's house, where the assault happened.

South Korean law describes this specific kind of rape as "aggravated" because it was a group attack, and a "quasi rape", as the victim was unconscious.

Taeil, whose real name is Moon Tae-il, left NCT in August last year when allegations first emerged, although the exact details of the crime were not publicly known at the time.

Introduced as a K-pop band in January 2016, NCT is known for its experimental music spanning various genres and has gained international attention with some releases charting on Billboard lists.

-BBC