South Korean actor O Yeong Su has won an appeal against a court verdict finding him guilty in an alleged sexual harassment case. He was previously sentenced to eight months in prison. He refused to accept this and filed an appeal.
The Suwon District Court of South Korea ruled in favor of O Yeon Su and overturned the previous verdict. The court acknowledged that there were suspicions that the harassment allegations were true.
The court referred to the woman who sought counseling for sexual assault six months after the alleged incident. O's apology to the alleged victim was also cited by the court.
However, the panel of judges expressed concern about the possibility that the victim's memory had been distorted over time and stressed the need to protect the interests of the accused if there were still doubts. The court's decision was challenged by the victim and the women's rights group, Womenlink.
The victim stated that she would continue to speak out about the alleged harassment. "Despite today's verdict, I will continue to speak out until the end. This verdict will not invalidate the truth or erase the pain I have suffered," the victim said in a statement co-released by Womenlink.
"We are outraged by this ruling, which once again hides the extent of sexual violence in theatre," Womenlink said in a statement to BBC News and reported by Variety. The appeal process began in August 2024, several months after the verdict was read in March 2024.
At that time, O Yeong Su was sentenced to eight months in prison with two years of probation and 40 hours of sexual violence education. The Squid Game star was originally accused of hugging and kissing a woman on the cheek during a regional theater tour in 2017. O Yeong Su also apologized for the accusation.
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