Veteran South Korean actor Oh Young Soo, best known for his performance as Player 001 in Netflix's global sensation Squid Game, has been cleared of indecent assault charges after an appellate court overturned his previous conviction.
The Criminal Division 6-1 of the Suwon District Court nullified the lower court's verdict of guilty on November 11, ruling Oh not guilty of forcibly molesting a junior theater colleague in 2017, reports Allkpop.
A court document revealed that Oh was accused of hugging and kissing a fellow theater member, who was identified as "A," without consent while he was visiting Daegu for the stage performance in August 2017. He is accused of kissing A on the cheek outside her residence the following month.
According to Rolling Stone, the case first emerged in December 2021, when A filed a police complaint. Police then declined to forward the case for prosecution, but the victim's appeal led to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office in Seongnam reopening the investigation. Oh, he was formally indicted in November 2022 without detention.
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In the first trial, the court found Oh guilty, based on the testimony of the victim, and sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program. Both Oh and the prosecution appealed; prosecutors wanted a one-year prison sentence in both the first and second trials.
In a short statement before the appellate court, Oh made the following remarks, his voice low, acknowledging how the proceedings weighed on him as he professed his innocence:
"At my age, I am ashamed to be standing in court. If my behavior back then was wrong and considered a crime, I will accept the consequences. But even now, I believe there was nothing in my actions that could be deemed as indecent. My 80 years of life have been shattered. It is painful and hollow. I only hope to return to my rightful place."
A decision by the appellate court cleared Oh of all charges, ending a legal battle that had gone on for several years and attracted widespread attention because he is internationally known from Squid Game.
Oh Young Soo is celebrated for his nuanced performances that have made him one of the nation's most respected veteran actors over more than five decades in the South Korean entertainment industry.
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