A South Korean actor, whose name has only been referred to as Mr. A, has been convicted for sexually assaulting another actress on set during several shooting sessions held in 2022, reports released on August 18, KST, indicate.

The victim, actress Ms. B, in her late 40s, described how A inappropriately fondled her in the name of acting while being filmed for an AI training program.

As the material was for machine learning use, hyperphysical contact was not necessary.

Ms. B recalled that the first incident happened in November 2022 at a convenience store. Before filming, she and A had agreed that he would hit her shoulder for a scene.

Instead, she said, "B immediately complained to the director, but due to the atmosphere on set, filming was not halted."

She added that she immediately raised her concern. "B immediately complained to the director, but due to the atmosphere on set, filming was not halted."

A second event is said to have happened in December 2022 on set at a nursing home. Due to the prior actions, Ms. B had specifically asked A to only touch her shoulder for the scene.

Nevertheless, she claimed, "A broke his promise yet again and allegedly grabbed her right breast during the recording."

Following this event, Ms. B aborted filming and reported a complaint for sexual harassment.

Mr. A had denied the claims during the trial, affirming that he had never touched her breast. The court overruled his defense, however, based on video analysis by the National Forensic Service and testimony from the producer.

The court held that A's conduct was intentional and against the Artist Rights Protection Act. The court also mandated that he undergo eight hours of sexual harassment prevention training mandated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

A was separately convicted on charges of forced indecent assault and sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for one year.

The ruling fueled indignation on the internet, with various netizens condemning both the act of the perpetrator and how the case was handled in news reports.

Another criticized the absence of consent during acting scenes, saying, "Acting is all about coordination, so actions like that without consent are definitely sexual harassment.."

Another response was blunt. "Insane."

Others complained about the way the case was being reported. "Why are you revealing the victim's age?" a user asked.

Another voiced similar sentiments: "Why don't they reveal the perpetrator's identity instead?"

Others expressed naked anger. "Die, you crazy b*stard."