‘Squid Game’ veteran O Yeong-Su has been acquitted of sexual misconduct by a South Korean court.
The 81-year-old actor was charged in 2022 with two counts of sexual assault after a complaint alleged he hugged a woman and kissed her on the cheek against her will.
The court had given him a suspended eight-month prison sentence, a verdict which the actor promised to appeal.
On Tuesday, the court overturned its decision on the various allegations of sexual violence O Yeong-Su had suffered, saying the victim’s memory had been “distorted” considering the duration of the incident.
The alleged attacks took place in 2017, when Mr. O was staying in a rural area to attend a theater performance.
According to the Yonhap agency, the alleged victim filed a complaint against Mr. O in 2021, but the case was closed in April of that same year but prosecutors later reopened the investigation at the victim’s request.
In a statement reported by local media, the Suwon District Court underlined its uncertainty over Mr. O’s conviction and allegations about whether he had actually committed the assault.
“There is a possibility that the victim’s memory may have been distorted over time, and when there is doubt… the defendant should be given the benefit of the doubt,” the statement read.
According to the statement, it was also noted that Mr. O could be guilty of the alleged assault after apologizing to the victim.
The alleged victim later spoke out against the verdict, saying it would not “invalidate the truth or erase the pain I have suffered.”
“Despite today’s ruling, I will continue to tell the truth until the end,” she said in a statement released through the women’s rights organization Womenlink.
Womenlink also criticized the ruling, saying they were “outraged by a ruling that once again conceals sexual violence in the theater world.”
Speaking to local media after the court proceedings, Mr. O expressed his “gratitude to the court for its wise judgment.”
O’s international fame peaked after “Squid Game,” earning him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in 2022.
READ ALSO TOP STORIES OF Newslodge