O Yeong-su, the veteran actor and theater artist who played a major role in Netflix’s Squid Game is charged with s*xual assault, and he appeared in the court for the first day of his trial, on 3rd February 2023. While entering the courtroom, O Yeong-su reportedly apologized to the journalists and thinks he behaved badly.
The charges against O Yeong-su surfaced first in 2017 when an anonymous young actress filed a complaint against the actor for s*xually harassing her when they were on a tour for a play.
What are the Charges Leveled Against O Yeong-su?
O Yeong-su was part of a play in 2017. During the tour with the theater, he reportedly touched a young actress and tried to hug and kiss her on the cheeks forcefully when they were out for a stroll. The young actress filed a police complaint against O Yeong-su. The veteran actor confessed that he held the hand of the actress, but he denied other claims that the actress reported.
The allegations against the 78-year-old actor surfaced in 2021, but it was quickly closed because there wasn’t enough evidence that would lead to a trial. However, the victim urged, and the lawyers reopened the case.
In a prior interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the advocate of the victim stated that the victim was 22 years old when O Yeong-su s*xually harassed her when he was part of the play, and she was a junior member of the theater company. Here’s what the advocates said in that interview:
“O admitted his wrongdoing when the victim asked for an apology, but he has denied the charges during the investigation, failing to show any remorse for his act.”
The young actress went through emotional tension and mental strain, as she had to submit the text messages that took place between her and the actor as well as her medical history, which included the psychiatric treatment she received after the incident. O Yeong-su’s career had to pay a massive toll due to this allegation, as he has been dropped from a local play called Love Letter, as well as dropped from a government-funded advertising campaign about regulation innovation.
Did O Yeong-su Refute the Charges Against Him?
While entering the courtroom on 3rd February 2023, O Yeong-su apologized for his actions to the journalists, and he regretted his actions of holding the hand of the actress. Here’s what the veteran actor said about his action:
“I am sorry. I think I behaved badly.”
O Yeong-su has also apologized for his actions on JTBC, a local South Korean broadcaster. The actor appeared in a JTBC interview where he apologized for his actions, but he didn’t apologize out of regret or admission of guilt but as a remedy to the situation.
A spokeswoman for Korea Woman Link, a Seoul-based women’s group told The Hollywood Reporter that they’ll be providing legal support to the victim and will be keeping a close eye on the trial.
“We are providing legal support for the victim and will continue to follow O’s trial. Since the trial is pending, we cannot discuss further about the details of the allegations.”
Moreover, members of the local civic group stood outside the courtroom on 3rd February to castigate the actor for his actions. The local group reminded him that they will not keep quiet against people like him.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
