Netflix’s 2021 smash hit Squid Game was so popular it had a queer-filled reality show spinoff. However, one of its original stars has now been imprisoned for sexual misconduct.
Oh Young-soo, the 79-year-old actor who played Oh Il-nam/Player 001 in the series, has been sentenced to an eight-month prison term and a two-year suspension for sexually harassing an actress in 2017 while the two were touring in a play together.
A district court judge in Seongnam, South Korea found the actor guilty of inappropriately touching, hugging, holding, and kissing the actress — as reported by several South Korean news outlets. The prosecution initially tried to file the complaint in 2021 but were denied due to “lack of evidence.” After an appeal, the investigation reopened in 2022 and ultimately led to the current verdict.
The police report alleged that Young-soo attempted to hug and force a kiss on her cheek while the two went out for a stroll. While he admitted that he held her hand, he denied any indecent assault.
In that verdict, the Suwon District Court said, ‘The content of the victim’s journal, and the content of her counseling after the incident is consistent with what happened, and her testimonies could not have been given unless she actually experienced it.”
Following his suspension, Young-soo will also have to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program.
Outside of Squid Game, Young-soo is a 50-year veteran of both stage and screen. And yet, Squid Game sent him into global stardom and earned him South Korea’s first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film. He also earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
As of now, Netflix has not commented on whether or not this verdict will impact Young-soo’s involvement in the show’s second season.
