Squid Game star Oh Yeong-su accused of sexual misconduct
The 78-year-old actor denied the allegations, which relate to an alleged inappropriate touching incident that happened in 2017. Local authorities investigated and closed the matter in April 2022 before reopening the case in November.
Oh Yeong-su at a “Squid Game” screening in June 2022 in Los Angeles
Courtesy of the Everett Collection
Squid Game star Oh Yeong-su has been charged with sexual misconduct in South Korea. The claims relate to an allegedly inappropriate touching incident in 2017 involving Oh and an anonymous woman.
The case was under investigation by local Korean authorities from December 2021 before the matter was considered closed in April 2022. She was reportedly reinstated by prosecutors earlier this week at the request of the accuser, according to Variety.
Oh has denied the allegations and provided additional context for the event in question via a translated statement given to Korean broadcaster JTBC. [Editor’s note: It is unclear which organization is responsible for the English translation of Oh’s statement.]
“I was just holding her hand to point the way around the lake,” Oh (h/t Deadline) said. “I apologized because [the person] said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it, but that doesn’t mean I’m admitting to the allegations.”
The French news agency AFP (Agence France-Presse) broke the news of Oh’s indictment. AFP quoted an unnamed Korean court official as warning of misinformation surrounding the case, warning that “anything reported by local media is not factually accurate.” Korea’s culture ministry has reportedly pulled government news featuring Oh from the air, also per AFP.
Netflix audiences will recognize Oh for his performance as Oh Il-nam, or “Player 001”: the oldest player in the so-called game from the dystopian TV series. The “Squid Game” star took home the TV Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in January. Oh also won the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series before losing to Succession star Matthew Macfadyen in September.
Following the Netflix sensation Squid Game, the streaming platform ordered a second season of the highly colorful, hyper-violent drama; the details of which remain under wraps. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk previously told Variety he expects to bring the show back by late 2023 or 2024. If you’ve seen the series (spoilers ahead), you’ll recall that Oh Il-nam appeared to have succumbed to a brain tumor at the end of Squid Game season 1. Will the allegations of sexual misconduct affect plans for season 1? 2 will have is unclear.
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https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/oh-yeoung-su-indicted-sexual-misconduct-charges-1234785494/ Squid Game star Oh Yeong-su accused of sexual misconduct