Veteran South Korean Actor O Yeong-su, best known for his role as Player 001 in Netflix’s hit series Squid Game, has been acquitted of sexual misconduct charges by a South Korean appellate court.
The 81-year-old actor was initially convicted in March 2024 for allegedly hugging and kissing a woman without her consent during a theatre tour in 2017. He received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to undergo 40 hours of sexual violence education.
However, on Monday, November 11, 2025, the Suwon High Court overturned the conviction, citing insufficient evidence and inconsistencies in the victim’s recollection of the events. The court ruled that, given the time that had passed and the lack of corroborating evidence, reasonable doubt existed and the benefit of the doubt must go to the defendant.
O Yeong-su had maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming that physical contact between him and the woman had been mutual and not intended to cause harm or discomfort.
Following the acquittal, women’s rights advocates in South Korea criticized the ruling, arguing that it highlights the ongoing challenges faced by victims of sexual violence in the entertainment industry.
O Yeong-su rose to international fame after his critically acclaimed performance in Squid Game, for which he won the 2022 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series — becoming the first South Korean actor to achieve that feat.
