On November 17, Korean prosecutors appealed the appellate court’s not guilty verdict for Oh Young-soo to the Supreme Court. The prosecution argued that the lower court’s ruling was based on a misinterpretation of legal principles.
Previously, on November 11, the appeals court overturned the original conviction and found Oh Young-soo not guilty. The court cited the possibility that the victim’s memory may have been distorted over time, stating: “If there is any doubt as to whether the defendant committed forcible harassment as described in the charges, the benefit of the doubt must go to the defendant.”
However, the prosecution has now appealed that decision, sending the case back to the Korean Supreme Court for final judgment.
Oh young, so was charged with forcibly touching a younger colleague, referred to as “A”, during a theater performance in Daegu in 2017. The victim filed a police report in 2021, but the case was initially dropped. However, following an appeal against this decision, the prosecutor’s office reopened the investigation and formally indicted OH without detention in 2022.
In the first trial, the court found the victim’s testimony credible and convicted OH to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, plus 40 hours of treatment for sexual assault. Both OH and the prosecution appealed OH claiming innocence, and the prosecutors who upheld the sentence were too lenient.
During the appeal, OH‘s legal team argued that his apology had been misinterpreted. They stated, “During the height of his fame on Netflix’s Squid Game, Oh felt pressured by the victim’s sudden request and issued a formal apology out of courtesy. The first court misjudged his intentions.”
In his final statement, OH he expressed remorse and confusion, saying: “I am ashamed to appear in court at this age. If my words or actions were wrong, I will accept the consequences. But I did not believe my behavior constituted assault.”
Oh young, so rose to international fame in 2021 thanks to his acclaimed performance in Netflix Squid gameearning global recognition and becoming the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the TV category in 2022. However, following sexual assault allegations, his career came to a halt and he was removed from the drama. Speaking of familyand all future plans were put on hold.
Today’s ruling will determine whether the veteran actor’s conviction stands or whether his name will be cleared after a year of legal battles.
Sources: Daum
