South Korean actor O Yeong-su, best known for his role in the massively popular Netflix series ‘Squid Game,’ has been found guilty of sexual misconduct.
The 79-year-old, who made history as the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe Award for his role in the dystopian thriller, has been sentenced to eight months in prison and suspended for two years by the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court.
The charges against O stem from incidents allegedly occurring in 2017 when the actor stayed in a rural area for a theatre performance. He has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on two separate occasions – one on a walking path and the other in front of her residence.
The victim’s own records and statements were found to be consistent and irrefutable, leading to the court’s decision. Women’s rights group Womenlink applauded the ruling and urged O to apologize to the victim publicly.
South Korean actor O Yeong-su, who starred in the first season of “Squid Game,” is convicted on charges of sexual harassment and handed a suspended prison sentence, a court official says. https://t.co/XJ51lxwazI
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 15, 2024
This scandal has caused shockwaves through the South Korean entertainment industry, with O dropping out of an upcoming film due to the accusations. It is a sad and unfortunate reality that numerous figures in the country’s film industry, including late filmmaker Kim Ki-duk and actor Cho Jae-hyun, have faced allegations of sexual assault in the past.
The controversy surrounding O has also cast a dark shadow on the success of ‘Squid Game,’ hailed as one of the most-watched and talked-about shows on Netflix. The series, which depicts a dark world where people are forced to compete in deadly versions of children’s games, has garnered over 111 million views within a few weeks of its release in 2021.
This success has further cemented South Korea’s position as an emerging powerhouse in global popular culture, following in the footsteps of K-pop sensations BTS and Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite.’
