‘Squid Game’ star O Yeong-su indicted for sexual misconduct charges
The actor denies the charges.
By Nick Reilly
Squid Game actor O Yeong-su, who won a Golden Globe for his role in the dystopian Korean drama, has been indicted on charges of sexual misconduct after he allegedly touched a woman inappropriately.
The 78-year-old was indicted by South Korean prosecutors yesterday (November 24) after a woman alleged that the celebrated actor touched her inappropriately in mid-2017.
It’s believed the alleged victim first filed a complaint to police in December last year, but the case was closed in April without charges being filed against Yeong-su.
As the Yonhap news agency reports, the case was reopened at the victim’s request, with O denying the allegations when questioned.
O previously discussed the allegation last year, telling Korean media he ‘held hands with the woman to show the way around a lake’.
He also apologised to the alleged victim, but said he had done so because the alleged victim said “she wouldn’t make a fuss about it” and explained that an apology “doesn’t mean that I admit the charges”.
Squid Game debuted on Netflix last year and followed the story of impoverished contestants playing a series of simplistic games with deadly consequences in a desperate attempt to win 45.6 billion Korean won (£28.2 million).
O played the elderly competitor Oh Il-Nam, with the role leading him to win a Golden Globe earlier this year for best supporting actor in a drama series.
He is regarded as one of the most celebrated stage actors in South Korea, appearing in more than 200 stage productions since 1963 and winning a slew of major awards.