Squid game actor O Yeong-Su sentenced to jail over sexual assault allegation

15 March 2024 , 19:03

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The actor was convicted but is appealling

Squid Game 's stand-out actor O Yeong-Su was convicted on Friday of sexual misconduct after an allegation that he hugged and kissed a woman on the cheek without her permission.

The actor is best known for his role as Oh Il-nam in Netflix 's Squid Game. For his performance he was nominated for an Emmy Award and won a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television film.

But in 2022, an allegation came out that O hugged and kissed a woman without her consent back in 2017. He denied the charge but was convicted and sentenced to up to eight months in prison, suspension for two years, and a mandatory 40 hours of a sexual offender treatment program - according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

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He can serve up to eight months in prison (Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)

O left the court and told reporters that he would be appealing the ruling. The 79-year-old claimed that he "just held her hand to guide the way around the lake."

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He added that though he apologised to his alleged victim, it didn't mean he was guilty. But Judge Jeong Yeon-ju said that the victim's claims were "consistent … and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them," according to AFP.

"What’s written in the victim’s diary, and the counseling report of the victim after the incident pretty much match the details of this case," the court added.

Squid Game is one of the top Netflix shows ever (Netflix)

After the ruling was made, Womenlink, a South Korean woman's rights group wrote on Twitter: "The defendant resembles other offenders of sexual violence in theatre in the past who tried to cover up their sexual violence as ‘favour’ and ‘friendship’."

When Squid Game premiered on the streaming service in 2021 it was an instant hit. It became the most watched show of all time on the platform in just a week.

The creator of Squid Game, filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk, stated he started writing the sequel in November 2021. Netflix didn't greenlight the second season until June 2022. The next season is set to air sometime this year.

A spin-off game show was created as well entitled Squid Game: The Challenge. It premiered in 2023 and centered around a faux Squid Game where the contestants were just eliminated instead of dying.

Tatiana Krisztina