Golden Globe Winner Netflix hit star “Squid Game” His conviction for sexual assault in South Korea has been cleared.
Oh Young Soo81 years old, was originally found guilty last March after he was accused of hugging and kissing an actress against her will during a regional theater tour in 2017. eight months probation and ordered him to complete 40 hours of sexual assault training.
Oh has repeatedly denied the accusations and said he plans to appeal the decision.
On Tuesday, the Suwon District Court of Appeal overturned the lower court's decision, citing Oh's completion of the mandatory treatment program and questioning the victim's account and the consistency of her statements.
“There is a possibility that the victim's memory has been distorted over time and when there is doubt… the accused should be given the presumption of innocence,” the court said in a statement sent to local media.
The statement, however, noted there was still a possibility that O carried out the attackas he apologized to the victim, the BBC reported.
In response to the overturning of the sentence, the alleged victim said the decision does not “undo the truth or erase the pain she suffered.”
“Despite today's decision, I will continue to tell the truth until the very end,” she said in a statement released via Women's connection around the worldan international non-profit organization that fights for women's rights through legal action.
The organization criticized Tuesday's decision, saying they were “outraged by a decision that once again covers up sexual abuse in the theater world.”
Meanwhile, Oh spoke to local media after the ruling, expressing his “gratitude to the court for its wise decision.”
In 2022, Oh made history as the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe Award, winning Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series for his role as Oh Ilnam in the Netflix hit.
