'Squid Game' star Oh Young Soo faces jail sentence over indecent assault charges

Squid Game actor Oh Young Soo is facing a one-year prison term for sexually harassing a woman in 2017.

Korean media reported that the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office requested the jail sentence against the 79-year-old star on Friday, Feb. 2.

The issue began in December 2021 when the victim filed a complaint against Oh Young Soo, claiming that he inappropriately touched her body. The case was closed in April 2022 without pressing charges, but another investigation began following her appeal.

Oh Young Soo slammed the accusation in the same year and noted that he "just held her hand to guide the way around the lake."

He also noted that he has apologized to the victim, who "said she wouldn't make a fuss about it." 

"But it doesn't mean that I admit the charges," he emphasized at the time.

According to the Korea Herald, the K-drama star also kept denying the allegations during the investigation as he expressed how "painful" and "hard" it was "to stand in this court at this age."

"It is miserable that the last chapter of my life to end in such a way, making my whole life fall apart," he's quoted as saying.

His lawyer also argued that there's insufficient evidence to support the case, which is set to be heard again in March.

Oh Young Soo rose to fame after starring in Squid Game as Player 001 or Oh Ilnam. He won a Best Supporting Actor award at the 79th Golden Globes for his performance, making him the first Korean actor to receive the prestigious distinction.