O Yeong-su, famed for his role in the global hit series ‘Squid Game’, was convicted of sexual misconduct by a South Korean court. The court revealed on Friday that O, who made history in 2022 by becoming the first South Korean to clinch a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, had assaulted a woman back in 2017.
The actor O Yeong-su from South Korea, famous for his role in the Netflix show ‘Squid Game’, was found guilty of sexual harassment on Friday. He received a sentence that wouldn’t put him in jail unless he committed another crime within the next two years. Additionally, he must attend a program for 40 hours that addresses sexual violence, a court official reported.
'SQUID GAME' actor O Yeong-Su has been convicted of sexual misconduct over allegations that he hugged and kissed a woman on her cheek against her wishes.
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) March 15, 2024
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O Yeong-su, who is 79 years old, faced two charges of sexual harassment from an incident in 2017, which he has denied. After the court’s decision, he told journalists he plans to challenge the verdict. He has a week to file this appeal, or the court’s decision will stand.
The charges against him included actions like hugging a female actor, holding her hand, and kissing her on the cheek.
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O claimed that he was just leading her by the hand around a lake and apologized only because she said she would not pursue the matter, not because he admitted to any wrongdoing.
In 2022, he was formally charged, with prosecutors initially recommending a one-year prison sentence, as reported by the media.
Womenlink, a group advocating for women’s rights in South Korea, praised the court’s decision and called on O to apologize to the woman he harassed. They criticized him for trying to disguise his actions as kindness and friendship, similar to what they’ve seen from other sexual harassers in the theater world.
This conviction stems from incidents reported to have occurred while O was in a rural area for a theatre performance, where he assaulted the woman on a walking path and near her home. The judge, Jeong Yeon-ju, found the victim’s detailed account of the assault credible, stating it aligned with someone who had directly experienced such an event.
‘Squid Game’, the series that brought O global recognition, is a Netflix thriller that quickly became a sensation, drawing in over 111 million viewers within just a few weeks of its release. It’s part of a broader wave of South Korean cultural exports, including K-pop and cinema, that have gained international acclaim.
This case adds to a growing list of sexual assault allegations within the South Korean entertainment industry, highlighting ongoing concerns about misconduct among its most prominent figures.
