Actor Oh Young Soo has been acquitted in his appeal trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a female theater troupe member in 2017. On November 11, the 6th Criminal Appeals Division of the Suwon District Court overturned his initial eight-month prison sentence, which had been suspended for two years, and declared him not guilty.
The court stated that reasonable doubt existed regarding the assault allegations, noting that the victim sought counseling six months after the incident, informed colleagues, and that Oh had sent an apology at her request. However, it emphasized that under the principle of reasonable doubt—particularly given possible memory distortion over time—the ruling must favor the defendant.
The judges also explained that Oh’s decision to apologize, despite his fame following Squid Game, was understandable due to potential reputational harm and the time required to verify the facts. The court further ruled that the alleged hug did not amount to forced molestation, citing insufficient evidence to show that it differed significantly from a normal embrace, and added that there was no investigation confirming the alleged kiss outside the victim’s home.
Following the verdict, Oh expressed gratitude for what he described as a wise and fair decision. In contrast, the victim’s attorney condemned the ruling as disgraceful, arguing that it perpetuates systemic sexual violence and social hierarchies, and asserting that an acquittal does not erase the truth or the suffering experienced.
Oh was indicted without detention in November 2022 and had faced a one-year prison sentence sought by prosecutors in both the initial and appeal trials. The actor, best known globally as Grandpa Gganbu in Netflix’s Squid Game, became the first Korean performer to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in Television in January 2022.
