'Squid Game' actor Oh Young-soo, forced molestation acquittal finalized by Supreme Court [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Supreme Court has finalized the acquittal of actor Oh Young-soo on charges of forced molestation.

The Supreme Court's Third Division rejected the Prosecution Service's appeal against Oh Young-soo, who was indicted on charges of forced molestation, on the 25th. With this, the second-instance acquittal, which followed the first-instance guilty verdict, has been finalized.

Oh Young-soo was indicted without detention in November 2022 on charges of forcibly molesting a female junior member of a theater troupe.

Oh Young-soo is accused of forcibly molesting a junior member of the theater troupe, Ms. A, on multiple occasions, including hugging her while walking on a path in Daegu in August 2017 while staying there for a theater performance, and kissing her on the cheek in front of her residence in September 2022. The Prosecution Service sought a one-year prison sentence for Oh Young-soo in both the first and second instances.

The first-instance court accepted the credibility of the victim's testimony and sentenced Oh Young-soo to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.

However, in the second-instance trial, which proceeded after appeals by both Oh Young-soo's side and the Prosecution Service, the court overturned the original verdict and acquitted Oh Young-soo, stating, "When memories are distorted over time and doubts arise, a guilty verdict cannot be made."

Immediately after the second-instance verdict, Oh Young-soo told reporters, "I pay my respects to the court for its wise judgment."

In response, Ms. A criticized the outcome through a women's organization, saying, "Today's verdict is so unrealistic that it is hard to believe, and I express my deep regret. This regrettable judgment by the judiciary contributes to solidifying the structure and hierarchy of sexual violence, and is a shameful verdict."

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*This content was translated by AI.