Oh Yeong-su, an actor best known for playing the lead in the popular Netflix series Squid Game, has been charged with sexual misconduct.
The 78-year-old celebrity was charged without being imprisoned, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, for unlawfully touching a woman’s body in 2017.
According to reports, the victim complained about the celebrity in December 2021, but the investigation was dropped by the authorities in April of this year without any charges being brought.
The victim, however, contested the police’s judgement, and the prosecution has now reopened the case. Yeong-su allegedly refuted the accusations during the prosecution’s probe, according to the Korean media outlet Soompi.
The Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office indicted Yeong-su on November 24. When someone is charged with a crime and indicted, they must appear in court.
The recipient of a Golden Globe has addressed the accusation, according to South Korean television network JTBC, saying: “I just held her hand to guide the way around the lake. I apologized because [the person] said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges.”
In addition, a representative of the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office told France24 that all information about Yeong-su in local media “is not factually incorrect.”
However, the prosecution feels they have obtained proof to back up the harassment claim and has moved the case to trial.
At Dongguk University, Yeong-su, whose actual name is Oh Se-kang, majored in theatre and had his acting debut in 1963. In addition to his role in the 2003 film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, he made his debut on the big screen in The Seashore Village in 1965.
Prior to being cast as player No. 1 in the popular show Squid Game, popularly known as Oh Il-nam, he was mostly recognised for his theatre work.
After premiering in 2021, the series quickly became the most well-liked series launch on the streaming network, attracting 111 million viewers in less than four weeks.
Yeong-su received a Golden Globe for his performance in Squid Game in January of this year in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role.
