‘Squid Game’ actor Oh Young-soo cleared of sexual misconduct after appeal

‘Squid Game’ actor Oh Young-soo has been acquitted of sexual misconduct after court overturned his conviction

Squid Game star Oh Young-soo has been acquitted of sexual misconduct by a South Korean appeals court, overturning a previous guilty verdict that had threatened to end the veteran actor’s celebrated career. The ruling comes more than a year after the 81-year-old Golden Globe winner was convicted of indecent assault following allegations made by an actress.

The Suwon District Court announced that the evidence presented by prosecutors was not sufficient to prove Oh’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The court expressed concern that the accuser’s memory might have been affected by the passage of time, adding that doubts in such cases must weigh in favour of the defendant.

Oh had been accused of inappropriately touching an actress during a theatre tour in 2017, and the original court found him guilty in March 2024. He received an eight-month suspended sentence, two years of probation, and was ordered to attend a sexual violence education programme. Oh maintained his innocence throughout, insisting that he never acted inappropriately.

The appellate ruling marks a major turning point for the actor, who rose to global fame playing the mysterious contestant 001 in Netflix’s Squid Game. Following the allegations and subsequent conviction, Oh was dropped from several projects, including the South Korean play Love Letter, and did not return for later seasons of Squid Game.

Outside the courthouse, Oh thanked the judges for their “wise judgment,” expressing relief after years of legal turmoil. Meanwhile, the accuser released a statement through the women’s rights group Womenlink, vowing to “continue to speak the truth” despite the ruling. The organisation condemned the verdict, saying it “once again conceals sexual violence in the theatre world.”

Prosecutors now have one week to appeal the decision to South Korea’s Supreme Court. For now, the veteran actor, who has appeared in more than 200 stage plays since the 1960s, can breathe a sigh of relief as he attempts to rebuild his reputation after one of the country’s most publicised celebrity trials.