'Squid Game' Star O Yeong-su Files Appeal After Sexual Assault Conviction

O and his lawyers claim the punishments for his conviction have been too harsh.

By Michael Hein

Korean actor O Yeong-su filed an appeal in his sexual misconduct case last month, claiming that the penalty imposed on him is "disproportionately severe." The 79-year-old actor – who played Oh Il-nam in the Netflix original series Squid Game – was accused of "inappropriately hugging an actress, holding her hand and kissing her cheek in 2017." He denied the allegations but was found guilty, and now claims that the suspended prison term and social ostracization he has suffered as a result are too harsh.

O has become a household name since 2022, when he played a pivotal role in the global sensation Squid Game. In February of 2024 he stood trial for sexual misconduct charges in Suwon District Court, and his life has not been the same since. After he was found guilty, he was sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison sentence, two years of probation, and a 40-hour sexual violence treatment course. However, according to a report by KDramaStars.com, his appeal focuses more on the social and professional fallout of the trial.

O's lawyer pointed out several career setbacks the actor has dealt with so far. He has reportedly been removed from finished movies he had already filmed, and was dropped from consideration for future projects as well. In their appeal, the lawyer argued the sentence had been "overly harsh," contributing to this ongoing alienation. However, the prosecution answered quickly, stating that they still believed the sentence was "too lenient."

The details of O's case have not been widely reported outside of Korea, so it's difficult to determine what laws he broke and what the circumstances of the misconduct were. KDramaStars.com's report notes that the unwanted kiss happened at the actress' home, but further details are hard to pin down.

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O was born in a region that is now controlled by North Korea in 1944, when his province was still a part of the Empire of Japan. O's family was able to move to South Korea after the border was established, but he lost his father and his brother in the ensuing Korean War. O found work as a theater actor as a young adult, and continued to perform in the decades that followed. He made his TV Debut in 1981 and his film debut in 1998, but Squid Game was his first major hit to reach audiences in the U.S.

Squid Game Season 2 premieres on Dec. 26, 2024, but there's no indication that O will be a part of the series. Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.

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