Last year, O was found guilty of the alleged assault and given an eight-month suspended sentence in addition to a mandatory 40 hours of classes on sexual violence. At the time, a judge stated that O’s accuser’s claims were “consistent … and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them,” per Deadline. Further, “What’s written in the victim’s diary, and the counseling report of the victim after the incident pretty much match the details of this case.”
That decision has now been overruled. “There is a possibility that the victim’s memory has been distorted over time, and when there is doubt… the defendant must be given the benefit of the doubt,” the Suwon District Court said today, adding that O had completed his sexual violence classes. On the other hand, the court admitted that it was possible O had committed the assault, as he had apologized to the victim.
Today’s verdict will not “invalidate the truth or erase the pain I have suffered,” O’s accuser said in a statement responding to the decision, via the women’s rights organization Womenlink. “Despite today’s ruling, I will continue to speak the truth to the very end,” she added. Womenlink also spoke out against the ruling, writing that the organization was “outraged by a ruling that once again conceals sexual violence in the theatre world.” The prosecution can still appeal, but has not shared whether or not it will do so.
In addition to Squid Game, O has enjoyed a long career as a stage actor. In 2022, he became the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series for his role in Squid Game.
