Latest NewsEntertainmentNewsTFT News

‘Squid Game’ actor to stand trial this week on sexual assault charges

Oh Young-soo, who played a contestant in the famous Netflix series, has been accused of improperly touching a South Korean lady in 2017.

He has long been considered one of South Korea’s top stage performers, having appeared in over 200 productions and receiving several honors since 1968. In 2021, he shot to international stardom as Oh Il-nam, the shrewd, aging contestant in Netflix’s blockbuster hit “Squid Game.”

He will stand trial for indecent assault on Friday. South Korea has attempted to crack down on sex crimes as it grapples with the fallout from the #MeToo movement and its highly patriarchal history.

Oh Young-soo, 78, was indicted in November by prosecutors after a woman submitted a complaint accusing him of indecently touching her in 2017. If a district court in Suwon, some 20 miles south of Seoul, convicted Mr. Oh, he would face up to ten years in jail or a fine of up to $12,000.

There are few further details concerning the case and the incident.

Court papers are not available due to legal restrictions, and officials have declined to provide any information on the accuser, citing their policy of not disclosing any information regarding victims of sex offenses.

He has denied any wrongdoing and attempts to contact him have been futile. Since being accused, he has had to deal with the repercussions.

He was dropped from the cast of “Love Letter,” a South Korean play that was set to premiere on January 14. The country’s Culture Ministry has also pulled a government ad featuring him.

“I rushed to request replacements as soon as I heard the news,” said Lim Dong-sik, the head of advertising at the television network that sponsors the play in which Mr. Oh had been cast. Mr. Lim went on to say that the claims had harmed Mr. Oh’s reputation.

Last year, he became the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe for best-supporting actor. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his role in “Squid Game,” a dystopian thriller about South Koreans who join a covert, deadly tournament in the hopes of earning a life-changing windfall.

The programme, which starred Mr. Oh as Oh Il-nam, an elder rival known as “Player 001” in the game, touched a pop-culture chord throughout the world, becoming Netflix’s most-watched new series ever. Multiple requests for comment from Netflix went unanswered.

Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

Related Articles

Back to top button