The appeal hearing for actor Oh Young-soo (real name Oh Se-gang, 81), who is facing charges of forced indecency, will resume.
According to the legal community on the 30th, the 6-1 Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch (Appeals) will hold a hearing for Oh Young-soo, who was indicted on charges of forced indecency, on August 12.
Originally, a verdict was scheduled for the 3rd, but the date was changed twice to the 10th and then to July 1. It has been confirmed that the hearing will resume in August, and witness examinations are scheduled for that day.
In March of last year, the first trial found Oh Young-soo guilty of the charges and sentenced him to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation, along with a requirement to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs. Subsequently, the prosecution appealed for inappropriate sentencing, while Oh Young-soo appealed for factual misjudgment, legal misunderstanding, and inappropriate sentencing.
At that time, the court stated, "The victim has consistently testified, and the circumstances align with the diary entries written around that time," adding, "The victim informed others about the incident, and during the Me Too movement in the theater community, they even went to see 'March's Eye' to seek an apology. The counseling received from the counseling institution also largely corresponds, suggesting that the testimony could not have been made without experiencing it."
Oh Young-soo is accused of hugging person A while walking on a promenade in Daegu in September 2017 and kissing person A on the cheek in front of their residence. However, Oh Young-soo has denied the charges, stating that while it is true he held the victim's hand on the promenade and visited their residence, he did not commit any indecent acts.
Oh Young-soo's lawyer stated, "When 'Squid Game' became a hot topic, the victim suddenly demanded an apology, which was surprising, but to avoid causing harm to the actors and producers, he formally apologized." However, he added, "The defendant has not committed any crimes in his 80 years of life and has only engaged in theater, which he considers his calling. He has lost everything due to this incident, but he asks for leniency to restore his honor so he can end his life on stage."
He gained popularity as 'Grandpa Kkanbu' for his role as Oh Il-nam in the Netflix series 'Squid Game.' For this work, he won the Best Supporting Actor award in the TV category at the Golden Globe Awards in January 2022, marking the first win for a Korean actor.
