In South Korea, a court has relieved 81-year-old actor O Yeong-su — best known for the series Squid Game — of any additional punishment in a harassment case.
In spring 2024 he was found guilty of sexualized assault. The incident dates back to 2017: while showing an unnamed actress a lake, O Yeong-su touched her body without consent, kissed her on the cheek and held her hand.
After the allegations became public, he issued an apology to the victim but continued to deny responsibility. The case was initially closed and then reopened in 2022 at the victim’s request.
The court concluded that O Yeong-su had effectively served his sentence. He had been sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete a 40-hour treatment program for sexual offenders — a program he has since finished.
In Squid Game’s first season O Yeong-su portrayed Player 001, a performance that earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination. The series premiered on Netflix in 2021 and concluded in the summer of 2025.
