Squid Game Actor O Yeong-su Indicted For Sexual Misconduct In Korea

O Yeong-su, the award-winning star of Squid Game, has been charged with sexual misconduct in Korea. The 78-year-old was accused of inappropriately touching a woman's body in 2017, according to AFP, and was subsequently released without being placed in custody.

The woman first complained about Yeong-su in December 2021. The police had closed the case in April last year, but it was reopened after the alleged victim requested that it be looked into further.

Squid Game Actor O Yeong-Su Indicted For Sexual Misconduct In Korea

According to the local news outlet, Yeong-su refuted the accusations when questioned by authorities. In response to the allegations, the actor, who won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his breakthrough performance as Oh Il-nam in the Netflix hit, has issued a statement. He told Korean news broadcaster JTBC, "I just held her hand to guide the way around the lake. I apologised because said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges."

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Everything that has been reported by the local media about the veteran actor "is not factually incorrect," a representative from the Suwon District Prosecutor's Office told AFP. Following the indictment, the Korean ministry of culture recently removed a government TV advertisement with Yeong-su from circulation.

Yeong-su has been acting for more than 50 years, but his performance in Squid Game brought him international recognition and acclaim. He took on the role of the competition's oldest survivor. In a deadly series of children's games, the thriller series centres on a group of indebted individuals competing for a massive cash prize. Yeong-su has also appeared in other productions, such as the title role in the play King Lear and the TV show Chocolate in South Korea.

The popular survival drama on the streamer will return for season two in the future. In a 2021 interview with the Associated Press, author and director Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed the news. "There has been a lot of pressure, demand, and love for a second season, So it's almost like you give us no other options!", according to Hwang.