Squid Game’s O Yeong-su has been indicted on accounts of sexual misconduct in Korea. According to Variety, the 78-year-old allegedly inappropriately touched woman five years ago in 2017. The victim first filed a complaint against O in December 2021, and the case was closed in April 2022. The victim appealed, opening the case again. In a statement made to South Korean media, O denied the allegations, via the Independent.
The star played Oh Il-nam, also known as player 001 on Netflix’s most watched show Squid Game. Player 001, the oldest contestant in the dangerous competition, comes across as extremely lucky, but it is later revealed that he was the one behind the entire game.
O Yeong- su began acting professionally in 1967, starting with live theater. According to Variety, the star claims to have acted in over 200 stage productions. Although O has been acting for more than 50 years, his performance in Squid Game brought him international fame, earning a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a series. O Yeong-su also received a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. Other notable performances include the role of King Lear in the play of the same name, and Mr. Kim in the South Korean TV series Chocolate. In 2021, the actor also narrated an episode of the documentary Documentary Three Days.
Per Variety, the Korean ministry of culture has taken down government TV commercial featuring the actor. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the smash-hit Netflix series will be returning for a second season, confirmed by writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk, via the Associated Press. “There’s been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season.” Hwang said, “so I almost feel like you leave us no choice!”
It has not yet been clarified whether or not O will appear in court, or if and when a trial will take place. The actor was released without detention yesterday.