O Yeong-su, the Squid Game star who has been on trial for s*xual assault was about to enter the courtroom for the first day for his actions in Seoul, South Korea. Where the veteran actor apologized and claimed that he believes he behaved badly, in front of news reporters.
O Yeong-su has been a stage and screen veteran, who faced charges for s*xually harassing a young actress when they were on a tour for a play in 2017.
What are the Allegations O Yeong-su is Facing?
O Yeong-su was a part of a play in 2017, and during the tour, he allegedly touched a young actress. O Yeong-su attempted to hug and kiss the individual on the cheeks by force when they went out for a walk. A police report was filed against him, where O Yeong-su admitted that he held the hand of the individual but denied the other claims. The case originally surfaced in 2021, however, it had to be closed as there was not enough evidence against him. But the woman appealed, and the prosecutors were forced to reopen the case.
The lawyer of the defendant had earlier said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, that the victim was 22 years old when the crime happened, and she was a junior member of the theatre company, where O Yeong-su was a part of the play. Here’s what the lawyer said in that interview:
“O admitted his wrongdoing when the victim asked for an apology, but he has denied the charges during the investigation, failing to show any remorse for his act.”
This scandal changed the life of both parties as the victim underwent immense psychological stress, and she had to submit the text messages she had with the veteran actor as well as her medical history, which included the psychiatric treatment she received after the incident. After these allegations, O Yeong-su’s life is falling apart as he has been dropped from Love Letter, a play as well as from a government-funded advertising campaign about regulation innovation.
Did O Yeong-su Deny the Allegations?
O Yeong-su has denied these claims previously on JTBC, a local broadcaster. This is the same broadcasting network that surfaced the allegations against the actor to public knowledge, where he acknowledged that he held the hand of the victim so that he can guide her way while they were walking around the lake. He, then, apologized but not as an admission of guilt, but the victim said she wouldn’t make an issue if he apologized.
A spokeswoman for Korea Women Link, a Seoul-based women’s group told THR how they will be providing support to the victim, and follow the trial. Here’s what she said at the interview:
“We are providing legal support for the victim and will continue to follow O’s trial. Since the trial is pending, we cannot discuss further about the details of the allegations.”
After this incident, The Korean Arts scene faced extreme backlash in 2018, because a number of female actresses revealed how they have been s*xually harassed by and assaulted by their male colleagues and directors.
Members of a local civic group stood outside the courtroom on Friday and lambasted O Yeong-su for his actions, and he should admit to his wrongdoing, and Korea’s #MeToo movement hasn’t come to an end.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
