South Korean actor O Yeong-su, known for his stint in the first season of Netflix series Squid Game, was convicted in sexual harassment case on Friday, March 15. He has been handed a suspended prison sentence, a court official said, as per Reuters. 

O Yeong-su found guilty of sexual harassment 

The Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced O to eight months in prison. He has also been ordered to complete 40 hours of classes at a sexual violence treatment programme, the court official said. The 79-year-old actor, who was charged with two counts of sexual harassment in 2017, had denied the accusations.

As he was leaving the court, O told reporters he planned to appeal against the decision. He has seven days to appeal or the ruling will be upheld. O was indicted in 2022 and prosecutors had previously sought a sentence of one year in prison, according to media reports.

Womenlink, a women's rights group in South Korea, welcomed the ruling and urged O to apologise to the victim. "The defendant resembles other offenders of sexual violence in theatre in the past who tried to cover up their sexual violence as 'favour' and 'friendship'," the group said in a post on X.

According to the Suwon District Court, O Yeong-su was accused of sexually abusing a lady twice while he was living in a remote place for a theater performance in 2017.

O Yeong-su’s claim to fame

O won best supporting actor in television at the Golden Globes for his role in "Squid Game" in 2022, becoming the first South Korean to snatch the award.

He played the elderly character Oh II-nam, one of the main antagonists of the first season. The controversy over the accusations of sexual harassment saw him dropping out of an upcoming film in South Korea.

(with inputs from agencies)