Oh Yeong-su, known for his role in Netflix’s squid game, has been given a suspended sentence after being found guilty of indecent assault in South Korea
Oh Yeong-su, the 79-year-old actor who gained international fame for his portrayal of Player No. 001 in the hit Netflix series Squid Game, has been sentenced following a guilty verdict in a sexual misconduct case in South Korea. The actor, who made history as the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe, was charged after a female actor accused him of inappropriate behaviour in 2017.
The accuser alleged that Oh inappropriately touched her twice while they were working together on a play. Although the case was initially dropped after a police investigation, it was reopened following an appeal by the woman, leading to Oh being charged. The actor denied the allegations, claiming that he had only held the woman’s hand to guide her during a walk and that he had apologized to her at her request.
In February 2023, Oh appeared in court for the first hearing, where he expressed remorse for his actions. On March 15, 2023, the Seongnam district court found him guilty of indecent assault, a charge that could have resulted in up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 15 million South Korean won ($11,400). However, prosecutors had sought a one-year sentence and an employment ban.
The court ultimately handed Oh an eight-month suspended sentence and ordered him to attend 40 hours of classes on sexual violence. Following the verdict, the actor’s career has been impacted, with his scenes being deleted from an upcoming film, being dropped from the cast of a play, and not being cast in the second season of Squid Game.
Oh has announced his intention to appeal against the verdict, for which he has seven days to do so. The case has drawn significant attention due to Oh’s recent rise to fame and the ongoing global conversation around sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry.
