Actor Oh Young-soo, 82, has been acquitted of sexual assault charges by South Korea's Supreme Court. After receiving a suspended prison sentence in the first trial, his conviction was overturned in the appeals court, and the Supreme Court confirmed this decision, concluding a legal battle that lasted approximately three years and seven months.
According to legal sources on June 26, the Supreme Court's third division, led by Justice Oh Seok-jun, upheld the appeals court's not guilty ruling by dismissing the prosecution's appeal the previous day. In criminal cases, if the grounds for an appeal are deemed legally invalid, the court can reject the appeal without further hearings.
Oh was charged in November 2022 for allegedly sexually assaulting a female theater member, identified as A, during a summer theater performance in 2017. The accusations included hugging A on a walking path and kissing her on the cheek outside her residence.
The first trial found him guilty and sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. However, the appeals court ruled that while there were doubts about whether the assault occurred, the principle of reasonable doubt in criminal trials necessitated a verdict in favor of the defendant.
The appeals court noted that the victim sought counseling about six months after the incident and informed acquaintances of the alleged assault. She also sent a message to Oh requesting an apology, which he provided. However, the court expressed concerns that the victim's memory may have been distorted over time and that the severity of the alleged hug did not meet the threshold for sexual assault. Additionally, it found insufficient investigation to support the credibility of the victim's claim regarding the kiss.
The court emphasized that given Oh's rising fame from the global success of the Netflix series "Squid Game," allegations of sexual misconduct could have severely impacted both the production and the actor. Therefore, his prompt apology was not seen as unusual.
The prosecution appealed the not guilty verdict from the appeals court, but the Supreme Court ruled the appeal grounds were invalid and dismissed it. Consequently, Oh's acquittal is now final.
Meanwhile, the victim's side expressed strong opposition immediately after the appeals court's ruling, calling it a "regrettable decision that reinforces the structure of sexual violence and hierarchy."
Oh gained international fame for his role as Oh Il-nam, the "grandpa" character in "Squid Game," and in 2022 became the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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