South Korea’s Supreme Court has brought a close to a high-profile legal battle, upholding the acquittal of veteran actor O Yeong-su in a sexual harassment case linked to 2017 allegations.
The top court on Friday dismissed the prosecution’s appeal, confirming earlier rulings that cleared the 82-year-old actor of all charges, according to judicial officials.
O Yeong-su was indicted in 2022 without detention over allegations that he hugged and kissed a woman on the cheek without consent during a theatre tour in 2017. The case gained widespread attention due to his global fame from the Netflix series Squid Game.
Read More: Squid game actor Oh Yeong Su denies allegations of sexual assault
A district court had initially sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. However, an appellate court later overturned the decision and acquitted him, stating that although suspicion existed, the evidence did not meet the threshold for conviction.
The prosecution challenged the ruling, but the Supreme Court rejected the appeal and finalized the acquittal.
O Yeong-su rose to international recognition after winning Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 Golden Globe Awards for his performance in Squid Game.
