Squid Game Actor (79) Found Guilty of Sexual Misconduct
South Korean actor O Yeong-su, who starred in the first season of the popular Netflix show Squid Game, has been found guilty of sexual misconduct. O Yeong-su has received a suspended prison sentence of eight months, as well as 40 hours in a class on sexual harassment. He may still appeal the decision.
GHRTV
20-03-2024
Manouk Driessens
Women’s Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
Already in 2017, the South Korean actor O Yeong-su was accused of indecent behaviour towards a younger female colleague. Specifically, the accusations concerned inappropriate touching, including holding her hand, hugging, and kissing her cheek.
Denying these accusations of sexual harassment, the actor said he merely held the woman’s hand as he guided her around a lake. By his own account, he did apologise to the woman in question – not as an admission of guilt, but because she had allegedly said she would not make a fuss about it if he apologised.
Two years after his official indictment in 2022, the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court found O Yeong-su guilty of sexual misconduct on March 15th. He received a suspended prison sentence of eight months, meaning he would serve this term only if he misconducts again in the next two years. In addition, the Court mandated him to attend 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment programme.
The case is an illustration of a systemic problem in the entertainment industry, with countless actresses sharing experiences of being intimidated, harassed or assaulted by male colleagues. Adding to the issue, the industry tends to infamously protect men in positions of power, at times even covering up the sexual violence that occurs. This harmful practice must change, asserts Womenlink, a South Korean women’s rights organisation.
In this light, O Yeong-su’s conviction is a victory for the #MeToo movement in South Korea, especially considering that the charges against him date from the very early days of the movement and concern a highly esteemed actor. The storm caused by the accusations and subsequent conviction have led to the actor being dropped from the upcoming South Korean movie titled “About Family”. As he left the courtroom, O made clear that he plans to appeal the Court’s decision.
Sources and further readings:
BBC (2024, March 15), “Squid Game actor O Yeong-su found guilty of sexual misconduct”. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68573645.
Bicker, Laura (2018, March 26), “#MeToo movement takes hold in South Korea”, BBC. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43534074.
Sample, Mark (n.d.), “#MeToo movement in South Korea”, Asia Society. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://asiasociety.org/korea/metoo-movement-south-korea.
The Guardian (2024, March 15), “Squid Game actor O Yeong-su convicted of sexual harassment”. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/mar/15/o-yeong-su-sexual-misconduct-conviction.
Vassell, Nicole (2024, March 16), “Squid Game actor Oh Young-soo found guilty of indecent assault”, Independent. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/squid-game-oh-young-soo-assault-b2513197.html.
Yim, Hyunsu (2024, March 15), “’Squid Game’ actor O Yeong-su gets suspended sentence in sexual harassment case”, Reuters. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/squid-game-actor-o-yeong-su-gets-suspended-sentence-sexual-harassment-case-2024-03-15/.
Yoon, John (2024, March 15), “‘Squid Game’ actor found guilty of sexual misconduct”, The New York Times. Accessed on March 20th, 2024 via https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/15/arts/squid-game-actor.html.
