The Third Division of the Supreme Court reportedly rejected the prosecution’s appeal on June 25. The sentence leaves intact the appeals court decision that overturned his previous conviction and found him not guilty.
The decision ends a nearly four-year legal battle after Oh Yeong Su was charged without detention in November 2022.
Prosecutors have charged the actor over two incidents involving a young theater colleague, identified as A, while he was in Daegu for a production of King Lear in 2017.
The allegations included claims that he hugged A on a trail and kissed her on the cheek outside her residence without consent. O Yeong Su has denied committing any lewd acts, previously saying he held her hand but did not behave inappropriately.
In March 2024 the court of first instance found him guilty and sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of a sexual assault treatment program. The court said the complainant’s diary, counseling documents and testimonies were largely consistent with the allegations.
The sentence was changed on appeal in November last year. The Suwon District Court overturned the original sentence and acquitted Oh Yeong Su, finding that reasonable doubts remained. The court noted that parts of the complainant’s account had changed over time, including whether the actor had attempted to kiss her or had actually kissed her.
It was also concluded that the intensity of the alleged embrace alone was not sufficient to establish indecent assault beyond a reasonable doubt. After the acquittal, Oh Yeong Su’s representatives said they were grateful for what they described as a wise judgment. Representatives of the complainant strongly criticized the decision, arguing that it did not adequately reflect the power dynamics surrounding sexual assault cases.
Prosecutors appealed the acquittal, citing alleged errors in legal interpretation. However, the Supreme Court rejected that appeal, officially finalizing Oh Yeong Su’s not guilty verdict.
Sources: Daum | sports trends
