'Squid Game' actor's lawyer calls 8-month jail for molestation 'harsh'
What's the story
South Korean actor Oh Young-soo, who gained international acclaim for his role in the hit Netflix series Squid Game, is currently facing an eight-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting a woman twice.
During a recent appeal hearing, his lawyers argued that the punishment is excessively harsh.
To recall, the 79-year-old actor was found guilty of hugging and kissing a woman without her consent back in 2017.
Appeal hearing
Oh's lawyer highlighted the actor being already removed from projects
During the appeal hearing on Thursday (August 29), Oh's legal team argued that the actor has already faced significant social judgment from people, including being removed from several film projects.
They also stated that it was yet to be determined if the victim would be called as a witness.
In response, the court clarified that it would conduct witness examinations during the next session.
Case background
Oh was found guilty in the first trial
Oh was indicted without detention in November 2022.
The incident occurred in 2017 when the actor was in the area for a theater performance. The victim was also an actor staying in the same area for a play.
In the initial trial held in March this year, Oh was found guilty and sentenced to eight months in prison.
The actor's legal team appealed against the ruling—citing factual errors, legal misunderstandings, and the severity of the sentence as grounds for appeal.
Career impact
Oh's career and recent developments
Oh began his acting career in 1963 with a theater group called The Square.
He gained international recognition for his role in Squid Game, for which he went on to win the 2021 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, Television.
However, following his conviction, he was banned from appearing on KBS in May and was replaced in the Korean movie About Family, despite having completed filming.