Squid Game actor, Oh Youngsoo sentenced to 8 months imprisonment.

South Korean actor Oh Young-soo, known for his role in the popular 2021 drama series “Squid Game,” has been sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for sexual harassment. 

The 79-year-old actor was accused of hugging a woman and kissing her on the cheek while they were on a walking trail in 2017. 

The incident came to light after the woman filed charges against Oh in December 2021, following his rise to fame due to his role in the Netflix series.

Despite the suspension of his prison sentence, the verdict reflects the seriousness with which South Korean authorities address cases of sexual harassment.

Prosecutors pressed charges against him in November of 2022.

“The content of the victim’s journal, and the content of her counselling after the incident is consistent with what happened, and her testimonies could not have been given unless she actually experienced it,” the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court in Gyeonggi Province said Friday in its verdict. Oh is also required to complete 40 hours in a sexual violence treatment program.

The court took into account Oh’s lack of prior criminal records when determining his sentence and decided not to reveal his personal information or criminal record, nor did it impose any restrictions on his employment opportunities.

Despite this leniency, Oh, who has consistently denied the charges against him, announced his intention to appeal the verdict as he left the court.

This indicates his continued assertion of innocence and his determination to contest the case’s outcome through the appeals process.

Oh, who has been a stage actor throughout his long career, rose to fame for his portrayal of the character Oh Il-nam in the 2021 hit drama “Squid Game.”

His performance earned him the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2022 Golden Globe Awards, a first for a Korean actor.

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