'Squid Game' actor O Yeong-su given suspended prison term for sexual misconduct

SEONGNAM, South Korea, March 15 (Yonhap) -- "Squid Game" actor O Yeong-su was given a suspended prison term Friday on charges of sexually harassing a woman in 2017.

The Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced O to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, along with an order to complete 40 hours of a sexual offender treatment program, saying the victim's account of what happened is consistent.

The 80-year-old O was indicted in November 2022 over allegations that he hugged a woman and kissed her on the cheek against her will during his two-month tour to a regional area for a performance in 2017.

He has denied the charges.

"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," the court said, adding the victim's testimony is coherent and "not something that can be made up."

Leaving the court after the hearing, O told reporters he plans to appeal the court decision.

O won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role on TV at the 2022 Golden Globe Awards for his role in the sensational Netflix original series "Squid Game."

sookim@yna.co.kr(END)