A star of the hit South Korean death contest drama “Squid Game” will stand trial on charges of indecent assault after being accused of inappropriately touching a woman in 2017, a court in the country said Thursday.
O Yeong-su, 78, was indicted last week over the allegations, officials with the district court in Seongnam city confirmed.
Specifics about O’s case were not released, but the woman originally filed a complaint against him in December 2021, saying he made unwanted physical contact during a meeting in 2017.
Police closed the case in April, but it was reopened after the woman asked for it to be investigated further.
O denied the allegations when questioned by authorities, and later released a statement to South Korean news broadcaster JTBC with his version of events.
“I just held her hand to guide the way around the lake,” O said. “I apologized because [the person] said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges.”
O became the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe in January for his portrayal of Oh II-nam, a mysterious elderly “Squid Game” contestant who joined the contest after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
“Squid Game,” a popular Netflix drama about a group of desperate adults competing in a deadly children’s game for a chance to escape their debt, has been renewed for season two.