O Yeong-Su, known for his role in Squid Game, has been handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence for sexual misconduct by a South Korean court.
The 79-year-old actor was charged in 2022 with sexually assaulting a woman on two occasions. The assaults reportedly occurred in 2017 when O was staying in a rural area for a theatre performance.
According to reports from AFP, the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court announced the verdict. O has expressed his intention to appeal the decision within seven days.
Allegations against O included forcibly hugging a woman and kissing her on the cheek against her will, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In addition to the sentence, O has been mandated to attend classes on sexual violence.
According to AFP, judge Jeong Yeon-ju said the victim’s records of the assault and her claims were “consistent … and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them”.
O Yeong-Su had denied the claims, which, according to the Suwon District Court, occurred on a walking path and in front of the victim’s residence.
The actor gained international fame after starring in Squid Game, a dystopian drama where contestants participate in deadly versions of traditional children’s games.
The series was a massive and unexpected hit on Netflix, attracting over 100 million viewers worldwide within weeks of its 2021 release. O became the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe the following year for his role as Oh Il-nam, the oldest participant in the competition.
The controversy surrounding the accusations led to O being dropped from an upcoming film in South Korea, as reported by Reuters.
Womenlink, a prominent feminist organisation, spoke to reporters shortly after the sentencing and said:
“Now we can say that the sexual violence in the theatre is not an old custom but sexual violence. The accused must stop trying to make his assault go away, apologise to the victim and accept his mistake.”
tigpost.co