Squid Game actor Oh Young Soo is facing a one-year imprisonment in the sexual harassment case. The 79-year-old actor, who played the role of Oh Il-nam in the popular South Korean series, has been accused of groping and kissing a woman in 2017. According to South Korean media on February 2, prosecutors have demanded a year in jail for Oh Young Soo. For the unversed, a woman filed a case against the actor in December 2021 and in November 2022, he was indicted on charges of sexual misconduct.
The case was originally dismissed in April 2022 but after the accuser’s request, it was reopened. During a trial on Friday, the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office demanded a year in jail for the actor and urged that he is restricted from working with children and young stars. “He avoided his responsibility, saying the victim was ‘like a daughter to him’, though the victim asked for an apology, making the victim frustrated,” the officer said, as reported by The Straits Times.
During the investigation, the Squid Game star denied all allegations. The South Korean star in a statement shared with Korean broadcaster JTBC stated that he only held the woman’s hand and later apologized. But he doesn’t admit the charges. “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,” he said.
“It’s so painful and hard to stand in this court at this age like this. It is miserable that the last chapter of my life to end in such a way, making my whole life fall apart,” Oh Young Soo said.
Oh Young Soo shot to international fame owing to his captivating portrayal in Squid Game. He won multiple accolades including a Golden Globe Award in the Best Supporting Actor in a Series category, and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series section. Prior to Squid Game, he is reported to have starred in approximately 200 theatre productions.
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