Squid Game star acquitted of sexual misconduct charge

Squid Game star O Yeong-Su has been acquitted of sexual misconduct charges by a South Korean court.

The 81-year-old was accused in 2022 of sexually assaulting a woman twice. He hugged the woman and kissed her on the cheek against her will, the allegations said.

Mr. Au was convicted in 2024 and given an eight-month suspended prison sentence, but he said he would appeal the sentence.

On Tuesday, the court overturned his sentence, saying that he had received lessons about sexual violence and indicating that the alleged victim’s memory may have been “distorted,” taking into account the length of time that had passed since the incident.

The alleged assaults occurred in 2017 when Mr. Au was staying in a rural area to attend a theatrical performance.

The alleged victim filed a complaint against Mr. O in 2021, but the case was closed in April of the same year. The prosecution later reopened the investigation “at the request of the victim,” according to Yonhap.

In a statement reported by local media, the Suwon District Court said there was “doubt” about whether Mr. O had committed the assault.

“There is a possibility that the victim’s memory may have been distorted over time, and when there is doubt…the defendant should be given the benefit of the doubt.”

However, the statement also went on to say that it was possible that Mr. O had committed assault, as he had apologized to the victim.

The alleged victim later spoke out against the ruling, saying it “would not invalidate the truth or erase the pain I suffered.”

“Despite today’s ruling, I will continue to tell the truth until the end,” she said in a statement issued through women’s rights organization Womenlink.

Womenlink also criticized the ruling, saying they were “outraged by the ruling which once again conceals sexual violence in the world of theater.”

It is not yet clear whether the prosecution will appeal the ruling.

Speaking to local media after the court’s ruling, Mr. Au said he was “grateful to the court for its wise ruling.”

Mr O rose to international fame after starring in Squid Game, a dystopian drama that sees people competing in deadly versions of traditional children’s games.

In 2022, he became the first South Korean actor to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, after his performance in the first season of the thrilling Netflix series that topped the list.