South Korea’s appellate court has overturned the sexual misconduct conviction of 81-year-old actor O Yeong-su, best known for his role in Netflix’s hit series Squid Game, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Suwon District Court acquitted O on Tuesday, reversing a lower court decision that had found him guilty of sexually harassing a woman during a 2017 regional theater tour. The actor had been accused of hugging and kissing the woman on the cheek without her consent.
The appellate judges acknowledged that suspicions existed, noting that the woman sought counseling for sexual violence six months after the incident and that O had apologized at her request. However, the court expressed concern over the potential distortion of memory over time and emphasized the protection of the defendant’s rights in cases of doubt.
The original conviction had handed O an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years. Prosecutors had sought a one-year sentence in both the trial and appellate proceedings.
Following the acquittal, the alleged victim condemned the ruling, stating through the women’s rights organization Womenlink: “Despite today’s ruling, I will continue to speak the truth to the very end.” Womenlink added that they were “outraged by a ruling that once again conceals sexual violence in the theatre world.”
O Yeong-su rose to global fame for his portrayal in Squid Game, earning a Golden Globe in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor in a TV series. The Netflix phenomenon remains one of the platform’s most-watched shows, though his legal issues have overshadowed his career in recent years.
