'Squid Game' actor O Yeong-su acquitted of sexual misconduct charges
What's the story
O Yeong-su, the 81-year-old South Korean actor who gained international fame for his role in Netflix's hit series Squid Game, has been acquitted of sexual misconduct charges by the Supreme Court of South Korea. The court upheld a previous ruling by an appellate court that acquitted him last year. The case involved allegations from a female colleague who accused him of forcibly hugging and kissing her without consent in 2017.
Case background
Allegations made by the female colleague
The allegations against O, also known as Oh Young-soo, were made by a female theater colleague. She claimed he forcibly hugged her and kissed her on the cheek near her home in Daegu during the summer of 2017. He was indicted in November 2022 over two alleged incidents of physical contact. O consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the legal proceedings.
Legal proceedings
Initially sentenced to 8 months in prison
In the first trial, O was found guilty and sentenced to eight months in prison. However, the sentence was suspended for two years, and he was ordered to undergo a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program. The trial court had deemed the complainant's testimony credible, citing counseling records and diary entries as supporting evidence. However, both O and the prosecution appealed this verdict; O sought to overturn his conviction while prosecutors pushed for a harsher one-year prison sentence.
Acquittal details
The appellate court overturned the initial conviction
The appellate court later overturned the initial conviction, stating that the complainant's testimony had changed over time and that it could not rule out the possibility of her memory being altered. It also held that the physical contact described in this case did not amount to criminal indecent assault under the law. With South Korea's Supreme Court rejecting the prosecution's latest appeal, O has now been officially acquitted of all charges.
Career highlights
O became a global sensation after 'Squid Game'
O became a global sensation after playing Oh Il-nam (Player 001) in Squid Game. In 2022, he made history as the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in Television for his role. He also received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the show's first season.