Annie Walton Doyle
Squid Game actor O Yeong-Su has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence for sexual misconduct by a court in South Korea.
The 79-year-old, who has denied the allegations, was charged in 2022 with s**ually assaulting a woman on two separate occasions.
The assaults reportedly took place five years earlier when O was based in a rural area for a theatre performance, the Seongnam Branch of Suwon District Court says, as per AFP.
It was alleged that he hugged a woman and kissed her on her cheek against her will, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
It has been reported that the actor has also been ordered to attend a s**ual violence treatment programme.
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As O left the court on Friday, he told reporters that he planned to appeal against the decision – he has seven days to do so.
The majority of the hearings at the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court were closed to the public.
However, it has been reported that Judge Jeong Yeon-ju has said that the victim’s record of assault was ‘consistent… and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them’, via BBC.
The feminist organisation Womenlink spoke to reporters shortly after the sentencing and stated: “Now we can say that the s**ual violence in the theatre is not an old custom but s**ual violence. The accused must stop trying to make his assault go away, apologise to the victim and accept his mistake.”
Following the accusations, O has dropped out of an upcoming film in South Korea, reports Reuters.
O found international fame after starring in the hit Netflix dystopian drama Squid Game.
He played Oh II-nam, the old man who wore the 001 jumpsuit, and who was later revealed to be the evil genius behind the operation.
O won Best Supporting Actor in Television at the Golden Globes for his role in the unexpected hit show, becoming the first South Korean to win the award.
Information and support for anyone affected by r*** or s**ual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, R*** Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html.
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