Squid Game's O Yeong Su Sentenced To One Year In Prison In Sexual Harassment Case

Veteran actor O Yeong-su has been found guilty of sexually harassing a female colleague from his theater troupe.

O Yeong-Su was sentenced to prison, receiving the same punishment that had been requested by the victim.

Source : IMDb

Veteran actor O Yeong-su has been found guilty of sexually harassing a female colleague from his theater troupe. On April 3, during the final hearing at the Suwon District Court’s Criminal Appeals Division 6-1, the court delivered its verdict, siding with the allegations made by the victim’s side. The 'Squid Game' actor was sentenced to prison, receiving the same punishment that had been requested by the victim. Despite the verdict, O Yeong-su maintains that he did nothing wrong.

Squid Game actor O Yeong-su sentenced to prison

During the final hearing of his case, the prosecution described O Yeong Su as a veteran actor with nearly 50 years in the theater industry. They accused him of “sexually harassed a powerless junior member of the theatre troupe." According to Korean media, the prosecution stated that the victim had been living in fear, both at work and in her daily life, ever since the incident.

The legal counsel stated, “The victim has been living in fear, both at work and in daily life.” The prosecution then reiterated its request for a one-year prison sentence for the actor, the same as in the first trial. The victim's side also claimed, “The defendant further hurt the victim by saying, ‘I did it with the heart of a father,’ when she demanded an apology." In response, Oh Young Soo's defense lawyer denied the charges and addressed the crucial issue of the actor’s apology to the victim.

They explained, “At the time, Oh was gaining global attention due to Squid Game, and he was suddenly asked to apologize. He was caught off guard and only responded formally to avoid causing trouble for the production team.” 

The defense also argued that the victim's statement lacked "specificity, consistency, and logical coherence." 

O Yeong Su sexual harassment case

The accusations date back to 2017, when O Yeong Su allegedly forcibly hugged and kissed the victim near his home, which he has denied. Initially, he was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year probation period. However, the latest ruling has increased his sentence to one year in jail. The final verdict in this appeal trial is expected to be announced on June 3.