Squid Game actor O Yeong-Su, 79, found guilty of sexual misconduct and handed eight-month suspended sentence
The 79-year-old memorably played Oh Il-namthe, the oldest Squid Game participant, in the huge worldwide Netflix hit
Squid Game actor O Yeong-Su has been found guilty of sexual misconduct and sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison sentence.
The 79-year-old was charged in 2022 in relation to an alleged sexual assault that took place while he had been staying in a rural area for a theatre performance in 2017. The actor was accused of assaulting the same woman twice during the incident, having hugged and kissed her on the cheek against her will, local news agency Yonhap reports.
O rose to international fame after portraying the character of Oh Il-namthe in the South Korean worldwide hit Netflix show Squid Game. He became the very first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for his role in the show, as well as picking up an Emmy for his performance in the show which gained more than 100 million viewers worldwide.
He denied the allegations prior to and throughout the trial, however judge Jeong Yeon-ju at Suwon District Court said that the victim's record of the event were "consistent" with the claims and "appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them".
The actor has been sentenced to an eight-month suspended sentence for the crime, while also reportedly being ordered to attend sexual violence classes. O has said that he will appeal against the conviction, which he has seven days to submit.