Actor Oh Young-soo's Appeal Hearing Set for August Following Guilty Verdict

The legal proceedings for actor Oh Young-soo (오영수), who is facing charges of sexual assault, are set to resume. According to legal sources on June 30, the Suwon District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 6-1, presided over by Judge Kwak Hyung-seob, has scheduled the appeal hearing for August 12.

Originally, the verdict for Oh was expected on June 3, but it was postponed to June 10 due to the presidential election, and then rescheduled again to July 1. The court has now confirmed that the hearings will continue in August, during which witness testimonies will be taken.

Oh is accused of two instances of sexual assault against an individual identified as A while he was in Daegu for a theater performance in the summer of 2017. He allegedly embraced A on a walking path and kissed A on the cheek in front of A's residence. Oh has denied all allegations throughout the investigation and trial. However, in March of last year, the first trial court found him guilty and sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Both the prosecution and Oh's legal team have appealed the decision.

During the closing arguments in April, the prosecution requested a one-year prison sentence, stating, "The defendant has not received forgiveness from the victim and instead claims that the victim is making false statements." They emphasized that Oh, a veteran actor with 50 years in the theater industry, committed the assault against a vulnerable junior member, causing the victim to live in fear in their daily life.

In his final statement, Oh expressed shame at being in court at his age, acknowledging that if his actions were indeed wrong, he would accept the consequences. However, he maintained that he did not believe his behavior constituted sexual assault. He also expressed regret if his actions had hurt the complainant, stating, "My life, which I have upheld for 80 years, has crumbled without value. It is empty and hard to endure. Please let me return to my place."

In response, the victim's attorney argued that Oh further harmed the victim by stating, "I did it with a daughter-like heart" when the victim sought an apology. They asserted that Oh's statements have been consistent since the complaint was filed, lending credibility to the victim's claims. The attorney urged the court to impose a severe sentence to prevent similar crimes in the theater industry.

Oh gained international fame for his role as Oh Il-nam in the Netflix original series Squid Game (오징어 게임), earning the nickname "Grandpa Ganbu." He also made history as the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series at the 2022 ceremony. However, due to the ongoing sexual assault controversy, he has withdrawn from the upcoming film Family (대가족), with all his scenes being cut from the final edit.