South Korean actor O Yeong-su, best known to western audiences as Oh Il-nam in the Netflix series Squid Game, has been acquitted of sexual misconduct by an appellate court.
As reported by South Korean publication Yonhap News Agency, the 81-year-old actor was convicted of sexual misconduct last year for allegedly inappropriately hugging and kissing an actress on her cheek during a regional play tour in 2017. The Suwon District Court overturned the ruling that found him guilty, for which he was given an eight-month suspended sentence and had to attend 40 hours of sexual violence classes.
The appellate court argued that there is suspicion that he sexually harassed the woman, especially since she sought sexual violence counseling six months after the alleged incidents, and he also apologized to her. However, they also noted that her memory could have “distorted” the scenarios over time, and in case of any doubt of assault or misconduct, the defendant will be protected.
He previously admitted that he held the woman’s hand while they walked around a lake, but denied the charges against him and vowed to appeal the ruling. “I apologized because [the person] said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it, but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges,” he said. She also alleged that he made inappropriate comments to her during their time working together, and laid in the same bed as her. Prosecutors sought a one-year prison sentence for the actor.
At the 79th Golden Globe Awards in 2022, O Yeong-su won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for his role in Squid Game. He managed to beat out some heavy hitters, including actors from Succession, The Morning Show, and Ted Lasso.