South Korean actor O Yeong-su, who shot to global prominence as Player 001 in Netflix’s Squid Game, has been acquitted of sexual misconduct charges by a court in South Korea.
The 81-year-old was accused of forcibly hugging and kissing a woman in 2017. In 2024, he received an eight-month prison term with a two-year probation.
He later fought the charges in an appeal trial, maintaining his innocence throughout.
In 2017, the incident in question took place during Yeong-su’s stay in a rural area for a theatre performance.
The complainant, who is an actress, lodged a complaint against the actor in 2021. But the case was closed in April of the same year, before the premiere of the Netflix series in September that year.
In 2022, the prosecution reopened the investigation at the victim’s request, according to the Korean news portal Yonhap agency.
However, the court acknowledged that in 2018, the complainant went to sexual-violence counselling, where Yeong-su had apologised to her.
“There is a possibility that the victim's memory has been distorted over time, and when there is doubt... the defendant must be given the benefit of the doubt,” the Suwon District Court said in a statement, according to BBC.
After the court’s hearing on Tuesday, the complainant rebuked the court’s verdict, saying it would not “invalidate the truth or erase the pain she has suffered.”
“An acquittal can never nullify the truth or erase the pain I endured. I can no longer stand by and watch the cultural and artistic community and the structure that perpetuates sexual violence… Despite today's ruling, I will tell the truth to the end with an even stronger heart,” she told Womenlink, a Korea-based human rights organisation.
“Gratitude to the court for its wise judgment,” the Squid Game actor told the media after the court hearing on Tuesday.
O Yeong-su made history as the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe in 2022 for his role in Squid Game, earning acclaim for his portrayal of the frail and enigmatic Oh Il-nam on the Netflix show.
