Netflix’sSquid Game has been a runaway success from the beginning. Since the Korean series premiered in 2021, it has received multiple Emmy nods and wins, as well as three Golden Globes nominations and a win.
At the same time, several of its main casts have become critically acclaimed stars too. Among them is Oh Yeong-su who made history by being the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for his performance on the show. And while fans may have expected him to return for the second season in some capacity, recent sexual allegations against the actor may make that impossible now.
Oh Yeong-su Is Awaiting Trial For Sexual Misconduct
Oh is reportedly set to stand trial in February after being indicted in the South Korean city of Suwon. And while the actor has already been charged, he has since been released without detention. Following the indictment, Oh also denied behaving inappropriately.
“I just held her hand to guide the way around the lake,” the actor said in a statement. “I apologized because they said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it, but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges.”
At the same time, an official from the city of Suwon also commented that “everything reported by local media concerning Oh’s case is not factually correct.”
Oh’s charge stems from an incident in 2017 when he allegedly touched a woman inappropriately. The victim initially filed a complaint against the actor in December 2021, although police dismissed it. However, prosecutors reopened the case after the victim appealed the decision.
Following the charges, Oh has already suffered some backlash in South Korea. Local reports reveal that he has already been dropped from the cast of an upcoming stage play in the South Korean city of Jeonju.
In addition, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also announced that it would pull down ads that feature Oh.
Can Oh Yeong-su Still Return To ‘Squid Game’?
Since Oh’s controversy came to light, neither show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk nor Netflix has commented on the actor’s status on the show. That said, Dong-hyuk once revealed that he essentially created the role of Oh Il-nam, a.k.a. Number 001, with the star in the mind.
“O Yeong-su has been doing theater for almost his whole life and I had watched a film that he appeared in 10-plus years ago titled, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring, by director Kim Ki-duk. He played a monk, and his performance and presence really left a big impression on me,” Dong-hyuk explained.
“When I came up with the character Oh Il-nam, I instantly thought of him. More than anything, he was an unknown actor, even in Korea. So, I think he really embodied that new and mysterious vibe that Il-nam had.”
