Squid Game star O Yeong-su, 79, found guilty of sexual misconduct
Squid Game star O Yeong-su, 79, has been found guilty of sexual misconduct and given an eight month suspended sentence.
The actor was charged in 2022 with sexually assaulting a woman twice. It has been reported that the assaults took place five years earlier when Yeong-su was staying in an area for a theatre performance in 2017.
Yeong-su has been found guilty of hugging a woman and kissing her on the cheek against her will, the Yonhap news agency reported. O has also been ordered to attend classes on sexual violence. Yeong-su has said he will appeal against the verdict and will have seven days to do so.
AFP reported that judge Jeong Yeon-ju said the victim's records of the assault and her claims were "consistent ... and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them".
O Yeong-su has been found guilty of sexual misconduct (Netflix)Feminist organisation Womenlink spoke to reporters shortly after the sentencing and said: "Now we can say that the sexual violence in the theatre is not an old custom but sexual violence. The accused must stop trying to make his assault go away, apologise to the victim and accept his mistake."
Yeong-su denied the claims which took place on a walking path and in front of the victim's residence, according to Suwon District Court. Yeong-su first found fame when he starred in Squid Game which became a Netflix hit.
The show gained more than 100 million viewers around the world within just weeks of its release in 2021. In 2022, Yeong-su was the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for his role as Oh Il-nam who was the oldest participant in the competition.
He was also nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Squid Game. The creator of Squid Game, South Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk, first confirmed that he started the writing process for the sequel back in November 2021. However, it wasn’t until June 12 2022, when Netflix officially announced the project.
2023 saw Squid Game: The Challenge air which saw everyday people take on the iconic Squid Game challenges to try and win a huge prize fund. Most of the games such as Red Light Green Light were featured on the spin-off show.
456 players competed for a chance for the grand prize of $4.56 million (about £3.63 million). After the finale between three players - Player 016 Sam, Player 287 Mai, and Player 451 Phil - only one winner was able to win the Squid Game. Mai Whelan, 55, won the record-breaking prize.
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