South Korea’s veteran actor, Oh Yeong-su, known for his role in the internationally acclaimed series ‘Squid Game’, has been convicted of sexual misconduct, according to a statement by a local court on Friday.
The 79-year-old, who made headlines in 2022 for clinching a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor in a series, was found guilty of assaulting a woman in 2017.
The Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court informed AFP that the actor has been handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. Additionally, he has been mandated to attend 40 hours of sexual violence education classes.
During the trial, Judge Jeong Yeon-ju emphasised the consistency and credibility of the victim’s testimony, stating that her accounts appeared genuine and reflective of actual experiences.
O Yeong-su was formally charged in 2022 for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman on two separate occasions while he was staying in a rural area for a theatre performance in 2017, according to the Suwon District Court.
Garnering a remarkable 111 million viewers within a month of its debut in 2021, ‘Squid Game’ propelled South Korea’s cultural influence to new heights, following the global acclaim achieved by entities like K-pop sensation BTS and the Academy Award-winning film ‘Parasite’.
Source Agencies
