On November 17, Korean prosecutors filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the appellate court’s not-guilty verdict for Oh Young-soo. The prosecution argued that the lower court’s ruling was based on a misinterpretation of legal principles.
Previously, on November 11, the appellate court overturned the original conviction and declared Oh Young-soo not guilty. The court cited the possibility that the victim’s memory may have been distorted over time, stating, “If there is doubt as to whether the defendant committed forcible molestation as described in the charges, the benefit of the doubt must go to the defendant.”
However, the prosecution has now challenged that decision, sending the case to Korea’s Supreme Court for final judgment.
Oh Young-soo was indicted for forcibly touching a younger female colleague, referred to as “A,” during a theater performance trip to Daegu in 2017. The victim filed a police complaint in 2021, but the case was initially dismissed. However, following an appeal of that decision, the prosecution reopened the investigation and formally indicted Oh without detention in 2022.
In the first trial, the court found the victim’s testimony credible and sentenced Oh to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, along with 40 hours of sexual violence treatment. Both Oh and the prosecution appealed Oh claiming innocence, and prosecutors arguing the sentence was too lenient.
During the appeal, Oh’s legal team argued that his apology had been misinterpreted. They stated, “During the height of his fame from Netflix’s Squid Game, Oh felt pressured by the victim’s sudden demand and issued a formal apology out of courtesy. The first court misjudged his intent.”
In his final statement, Oh expressed remorse and confusion, saying, “I am ashamed to stand in court at this age. If my words or actions were wrong, I will accept the consequences. But I did not believe my behavior constituted assault.”
Oh Young-soo rose to international fame in 2021 through his acclaimed performance in Netflix’s Squid Game, earning global recognition and becoming the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in the TV category in 2022. However, following the sexual assault allegations, his career came to a halt he was removed from the drama About Family, and all future projects were suspended.
Today’s ruling will determine whether the veteran actor’s conviction stands or if his name will be cleared after a year of legal battles.
Sources: Daum
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