Squid Game Star O Yeong-Su Convicted of Sexual Misconduct

Squid Game star O Yeong-Su (79) has been convicted of the 2022 sexual misconduct charges claiming that he hugged and kissed a woman without her consent back in 2017. Korean news outlet Yonhap (via Deadline) reports that Yeong-Su was "sentenced to up to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, by the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court." The actor was reportedly also ordered to attend a 40-hour sexual offender treatment program as part of his sentence. 

O Yeon-Su left court reportedly stating that he would be appealing the ruling. He previously admitted to having an awkward encounter with the woman, as he gave her a tour of a lake, saying that he indeed held her hand during the tour, and discussed the incident with her at the time. That said, he has not admitted to hugging or kissing her on the cheek as the charges allege, previously stating:  "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. 

The judge in the case, Jeon Yeon-ju, cited the alleged victim's journal and personal accounts of the encounter, stating that they were "consistent ... and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them." 

The court also reportedly stated that "What's written in the victim's diary, and the counseling report of the victim after the incident pretty much match the details of this case."

The victim also spoke out, stating that, "The perpetrator did not admit his guilt, let alone apologize. It is said that he explained it 'because I felt like his daughter'... Thank you to everyone who supported me. I hope for a world where support for victims of sexual violence can be sustained."

A South Korean women's group, Womenlink, put out a thread of statements on social media following the ruling, stating in part that "The defendant resembles past perpetrators of sexual violence in the theater industry who tried to cover up their sexual violence with 'favor' and 'friendship.'... Now we demand an apology from the perpetrator."

O Yeong-Su starred in Squid Game as "Oh Il-nam" the most elderly contestant in the deadly Squid Game competition. (MAJOR SPOILERS) The biggest twist in the show was final reveal that Il-nam (who seemed to die in the most heart-wrenching episode, "Gganbu", the marble game) was actually one of the wealthy elites that had masterminded the Squid Games, as means of entertaining himself before his inevitable death from a brain tumor. The role made the veteran actor an international star when Squid Game became a worldwide phenomenon in 2021. 

Squid Game Season 2 is in development at Netflix.