Nearly four years after legal proceedings began, veteran South Korean actor Oh Young-soo has reached the end of a lengthy court battle. The Squid Game star has been formally acquitted after South Korea’s Supreme Court rejected the prosecution’s final appeal, bringing the high-profile indecent assault case to a close. The ruling confirms an earlier decision by the appellate court, which had overturned his initial conviction last year. With no further appeals remaining, the acquittal now stands as the final legal outcome in the case.
Oh Young-soo became internationally recognised after portraying Player 001, Oh Il-nam, in Netflix’s global phenomenon Squid Game. His performance earned widespread acclaim and introduced the veteran stage actor to audiences around the world. However, his career later became overshadowed by legal proceedings stemming from allegations connected to an incident that reportedly occurred several years before the show’s success.
Supreme Court upholds Oh Young-soo’s acquittal
According to multiple South Korean media reports, the Supreme Court’s Third Division dismissed the prosecution’s appeal on June 26, formally affirming the acquittal previously delivered by the appellate court. The decision was issued under the leadership of Justice Oh Seok-jun, effectively ending the criminal case against the 81-year-old actor. Because the country’s highest court declined to overturn the earlier ruling, the appellate court’s judgment now becomes the final legal decision.
The case dates back to allegations involving a female member of a theatre group who claimed the actor forcibly hugged her and kissed her on the cheek in 2017. Prosecutors later indicted Oh Young-soo in November 2022 on charges related to two alleged incidents of physical contact. Throughout the legal proceedings, the actor consistently denied the allegations against him.
How the case changed during the appeals process
The first trial resulted in a guilty verdict, with the court sentencing Oh Young-soo to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment programme. At that stage, the trial court considered the complainant’s testimony credible and stated that supporting material, including counselling records and diary entries, strengthened the prosecution’s case.
Both the defence and prosecutors later challenged the ruling. During the appeal, prosecutors sought a one-year prison sentence, while the defence argued the conviction should be overturned. After reviewing the evidence, the appellate court reached a different conclusion from the original trial. The judges found that aspects of the complainant’s testimony had changed over time and stated they could not rule out the possibility that her recollection had been altered, ultimately determining that the physical contact described did not meet the legal standard required for criminal indecent assault under the applicable law.
By rejecting the prosecution’s latest appeal, the Supreme Court has now allowed that appellate judgment to remain in effect. The ruling concludes one of South Korea’s most closely followed entertainment industry legal cases in recent years.
The actor’s legacy beyond the courtroom
Long before becoming known to international audiences, Oh Young-soo had built a distinguished career in Korean theatre and television. His role as the mysterious Oh Il-nam in Squid Game introduced him to millions of viewers worldwide and became one of the defining performances of the record-breaking Netflix series. The character’s dramatic reveal in the first season remains one of the show’s most memorable moments.
His performance also brought historic recognition. In January 2022, Oh Young-soo became the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in Television for his work in Squid Game. He later received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, further cementing his place in the global success of the series.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, the legal proceedings have now officially concluded. The final decision closes a case that attracted widespread public attention both in South Korea and internationally, ending years of courtroom proceedings that unfolded alongside the actor’s global rise following Squid Game.
