Oh Young-soo acquitted: Supreme Court confirms not guilty verdict 3 years 7 months after indictment

On June 25, 2026, South Korea's Supreme Court confirmed actor Oh Young-soo's acquittal. The case had stretched 3 years and 7 months from his November 2022 indictment.

Oh, 82, played Oh Il-nam — "Grandpa Gganbu" — in Netflix's Squid Game. He faced two counts of sexual assault against theater troupe member A. The alleged incidents happened in summer 2017: an embrace on a walking path and a kiss on the cheek at her residence. One source places them in Daegu in August 2017 and at the victim's residence in September 2017; others describe only a provincial area where Oh was staying for a theatrical performance.

At Suwon District Court's Seongnam branch on March 15, 2024, a judge found him guilty. The sentence: 8 months imprisonment with a 2-year suspended sentence, plus a mandatory 40-hour sexual violence treatment program. The court said the victim's account "was consistent and contained statements that could not be made without experiencing the incidents."

The appellate court disagreed. It noted the victim had consulted a sexual violence counseling center roughly 6 months after the alleged incidents and told close colleagues. Oh had also sent an apology in response to the victim's message. These factors raised doubt but did not confirm guilt, the court ruled. His apology, sent while Squid Game was gaining worldwide popularity, was not unusual given the reputational stakes of a sexual misconduct allegation. On the physical contact itself, the court found no clear distinction between a forceful hug and a courteous one. No investigation had verified the credibility of the victim's account of the alleged kiss. "When there is doubt about whether the defendant committed forced indecent assault, the judgment should be made in the defendant's favor," the appellate court stated.

The prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's Third Division dismissed that appeal on procedural grounds and upheld the acquittal.

The victim's side responded after the appellate ruling: "The regrettable judgment handed down by the judiciary is a shameful verdict that contributes to solidifying the structure of sexual violence and hierarchical relationships."

Oh won Best Supporting Actor in Television at the 79th Golden Globe Awards in January 2022. He was the first Korean actor to receive that honor.