Actor Young-Soo from 'Squid Game' convicted of sexual misconduct
Oh Young-soo, the acclaimed Korean actor renowned for his portrayal in the acclaimed Netflix series "Squid Game," has been convicted of sexual misconduct by a South Korean court, as reported on Friday.
The 79-year-old actor has been sentenced to an eight-month suspended sentence and mandated to attend compulsory sexual violence treatment classes, according to a report by the New York Times.
Despite winning a Golden Globe Award in 2022 for his portrayal of Player No. 001 in 'Squid Game,' Young-soo publicly refuted the charges. Following the verdict, he expressed intentions to appeal the decision during interactions with reporters.
District court judge Jeong Yeon-ju, presiding in Seongnam, a city southeast of Seoul, found Young-soo guilty of inappropriately embracing an actress, holding her hand, and kissing her cheek in 2017. The prosecution subsequently filed charges in 2022 after the actress lodged a complaint, accusing him of inappropriate physical contact.
The report also revealed that Judge Jeong Yeon-ju stated that during various instances in August and September 2017, Young-soo had embraced the woman, held her hand, kissed her cheek, and remained in her rented room, where he allegedly made potentially inappropriate sexual remarks.
The judge noted that the woman sought sexual violence counseling in March 2018 and attempted to suppress her distressing memories for a period. However, the resurgence of "Squid Game" in 2021 prompted her to demand an apology from Young-soo regarding his actions, to which he apologized.
"Mr. Oh denied kissing the woman, asserting that he held her hand to assist with carrying items, and emphasized that his apology was not an admission of guilt," the judge remarked.
Young-soo’s legal representatives contended that the woman's account lacked consistency. However, the judge deemed her accusations credible.
According to NYT, the allegations of sexual misconduct significantly impacted Young-soo's career even before the court's ruling. He was notably absent from the cast lineup for Season 2 of "Squid Game," slated for release this year.
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