South Korea's "Squid Game" actor O Yeong-su has been convicted of sexual misconduct, according to a local court statement on Friday. O, aged 79, gained international recognition in 2022 as the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor in the hit Netflix series. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to attend 40 hours of sexual violence classes, as reported by the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court to AFP.
Judge Jeong Yeon-ju emphasized the consistency and credibility of the victim's testimony, which detailed incidents of assault in 2017 during O's stay in a rural area for a theatre performance. O faced charges of sexually assaulting a woman on two separate occasions, including on a walking path and in front of the victim's residence.
"Squid Game," renowned for its dark portrayal of individuals coerced into deadly children's games, became a global sensation on Netflix, attracting over 111 million viewers within four weeks of its 2021 release. O's conviction adds to a series of sexual assault allegations against prominent figures in South Korea's entertainment industry, echoing broader societal concerns about such misconduct.
