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South Korea Supreme Court Upholds Acquittal of Squid Game Actor Despite Appellate Court Finding Possible Sexual Assault
The top court dismissed the prosecution's appeal and upheld the appellate acquittal in the 2017 sexual misconduct case. The ruling ends a legal process that began with the actor's 2022 indictment.
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South Korea's Supreme Court on Friday finalized the acquittal of "Squid Game" actor O Yeong-su on charges of sexually harassing a woman in 2017, Yonhap reported. The court dismissed the prosecution's appeal and upheld the lower court's ruling that acquitted the 82-year-old of sexual assault charges, according to judicial officials.
O was indicted without physical detention in 2022 on charges of hugging and kissing a woman on the cheek against her will during a regional tour for a play in 2017.
The district court had initially sentenced the actor to an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years, but the appellate court overturned the ruling and acquitted O of the charges. The appeals court at the time said O may have committed sexual assault but still acquitted him, citing the need to protect the defendant's interest in cases where reasonable doubt remains.
The prosecution appealed the acquittal, but the top court dismissed the appeal, Yonhap reported.
The legal battle lasted more than three years from indictment to final acquittal.
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