Seongnam, South Korea - "Squid Game" actor O Yeong-su has been handed a suspended prison sentence on Friday by the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court for sexually harassing a woman in 2017. The court sentenced the 80-year-old actor to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and mandated 40 hours of a sexual offender treatment program, affirming the consistency of the victim's account of the events.
According to Yonhap News Agency, O was indicted in November 2022 following allegations of hugging and kissing a woman without her consent during a two-month performance tour in a regional area in 2017. Despite O's denial of the charges, the court highlighted the alignment of the victim's diary entries and counseling reports with the case details. The court noted the victim's testimony was coherent and credible, stating it was not fabricated.
Following the court's decision, O, who garnered international acclaim for his role in the Netflix series "Squid Game" and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role on TV in 2022, informed reporters of his intention to appeal the verdict. This case has drawn significant attention due to O's prominence and the broader discussions around sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry and beyond.