'Squid Game' Star O Yeong-su Could Be Jailed for 1 Year After Sexual Misconduct Allegations

If Korean prosecutors have it their way, Squid Game star Oh Young-soo may spend a year in jail for sexually harassing a woman. The Strait Times reports. The alleged incident took place in 2017. Oh Young-soo, 79, is best known for starring as Player 001 Oh Il-nam in the Netflix series. He was indicted on charges of sexual misconduct in 2022. The woman filed a complaint against him the previous year., alleging that the actor, then a member of a theatre troupe, groped and kissed her on the cheek without her permission during a performance tour. The case was dismissed in April 2022 but reopened when the woman requested.

During trial, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office requested a one-year jail term for the actor and suggested he be restricted from working with children and young people. In their request, the office said: "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 actor is denying the allegations.  "It's so painful and hard to stand in this court at this age like this," he said. "It is miserable for the last chapter of my life to end in such a way, making my whole life fall apart." His attorney claims there's not sufficient evidence in the woman's case.

The actor made history in when he became the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor in the television category for his role as a hapless yet cunning contestant in Squid Game. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 74th Emmy Awards.