On Feb. 2, Golden Globe award receiver Oh Young-soo’s final trial took place following accusations of sexual misconduct by one of his co-workers from a theater troupe he was previously part of. According to the victim, whose personal information remains unreleased, Oh had groped her and forcefully kissed her on the cheek in 2017. The prosecution sought a one-year prison sentence along with disclosure of Oh’s personal information and employment constraints, which would include preventing him from working with adolescents in the future. For many, this incident is not too shocking; in a society where culture coexists with high transparency, many public figures often get riled up in one controversy or another.
“I’m honestly not too shocked because it’s so common for behaviors such as this in our society as there is always some kind of controversy,” Ellen Park ‘26, drama enthusiast, said. “When I watch season 2, if I see the actor I think I won’t be able to see him in the same way. I think my impression of him could also influence how I see his character itself even if he acts, because I think I would see everything he does in a more negative light.”
Some, however, chose to take a more neutral, impartial stance on judging the full story of Oh’s case as there is much undisclosed important information like the age of the victim. Some go even further, simply distinguishing between the private lives of public figures with their art.
“I think there are a lot of degrees and circumstances that make this crime more or less severe like the victim’s age,” Chris Blendheim, movie and drama enthusiast, said. “But when it comes to public versus private lives, I try to separate the two because there’s a lot of powerful, talented actors who I know are just despicable people, so I try to differentiate those two things. I really don’t care; I look at their art. Also, with the rise of cancel culture, if we continue to ‘cancel’ actors, there’s going to be no one left.”
Oh, whose real name is Oh Se-Kang, is a veteran actor. Oh first debuted in 1963 after studying theater and appearing in more than 200 productions since then. He is best known for his role as Oh Il-Nam in the Netflix production ‘Squid Game.’ He is also the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe award for best-supporting actor and was also nominated for an Emmy for his role in Squid Game.
The victim filed a complaint against Oh in December 2021, and while the police had sent it to the prosecutor’s office in February 2022, her case was dismissed in April of the same year until May, when the victim appealed to reopen the case. Prosecutors in the Suwon district of Seongnam City then began investigating and pressed charges against the actor later in November that year.
According to the court prosecutors, Oh had inappropriately expressed his feelings for the victim, saying “I see you as a woman” while drinking in 2017. Oh claimed that the victim was “like a daughter [to him],” which was not well-received by the victim and led her to seek an apology. However, since his first trial, Oh has completely denied all charges. This has consequently led the prosecutors to have no mercy on Oh due to Oh’s lack of remorse throughout the trial.
“After hearing about the scandal, I was really shocked because it was completely out of my expectations,” Leah Kim ’27, drama enthusiast, said. “Although he has been completely denying the accusations, to be honest, it is very hard to believe him. I wasn’t a huge fan of his so I don’t feel defensive, and as a person with relatively neutral opinions, it just looks like Oh Young Soo is lying.”
Oh’s accusations have not come without repercussions, In 2022, Oh was dropped from his scheduled play, “Love Letter.” Additionally, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism canceled government advertising featuring Oh in 2022. South Korean broadcasting company Lotte Entertainment also announced on Feb. 5 that Oh will be excluded from the upcoming film ‘Big Family,’ set to release in 2024. Whether Oh will continue to feature on the upcoming ‘Squid Game 2’ remains unclear, however.
“I think the people who pulled him out of certain productions did the right thing,” Sarah Kim ‘26, member of media club, said. “I don’t think someone who is being accused of sexual assault or harassment, regardless of how talented they are, should come out on television. I think other actors who are being accused of serious crimes should also not come out, especially because they are public figures and should be and are sometimes considered to be role models for many.”