In a development in the ongoing legal case involving ‘Squid Game’ star O Yeong-su, the actor has voiced strong objections to what he deems an excessively harsh sentence. O, known for his memorable role as the ‘Gganbu Grandfather’ in the globally acclaimed series, is currently embroiled in a sexual harassment case that has attracted significant media attention.
The Suwon District Court’s criminal division convened for the first appellate hearing to review O’s case, where his defense team argued against the severity of the initial verdict. According to the defense, the actor has already suffered significant professional and personal setbacks. O’s legal representative stated, “The defendant has faced multiple removals from film projects and has also endured public judgment due to this case”, as reported by Korea Times.
O’s defense further stressed that “the defendant is a first-time offender, and the degree of the indecent assault was not severe”. The actor, who made history by becoming the first Korean to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series in January 2022, was indicted in November 2022 for allegedly sexually harassing a female junior colleague identified only as A, from his theater troupe.
The accusations reportedly revolve around incidents from August 2017, when O reportedly embraced A on a hiking trail during a theater performance in a provincial area, and later kissed her on the cheek outside her residence in September. Despite O’s denial of the allegations, a lower court sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Both O and the prosecution have appealed the ruling, with the next court session slated for October 29.
The Suwon District Court’s criminal division convened for the first appellate hearing to review O’s case, where his defense team argued against the severity of the initial verdict. According to the defense, the actor has already suffered significant professional and personal setbacks. O’s legal representative stated, “The defendant has faced multiple removals from film projects and has also endured public judgment due to this case”, as reported by Korea Times.
O’s defense further stressed that “the defendant is a first-time offender, and the degree of the indecent assault was not severe”. The actor, who made history by becoming the first Korean to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series in January 2022, was indicted in November 2022 for allegedly sexually harassing a female junior colleague identified only as A, from his theater troupe.
The accusations reportedly revolve around incidents from August 2017, when O reportedly embraced A on a hiking trail during a theater performance in a provincial area, and later kissed her on the cheek outside her residence in September. Despite O’s denial of the allegations, a lower court sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Both O and the prosecution have appealed the ruling, with the next court session slated for October 29.