O Yeong-Su, known for his role as the crafty Oh Il-nam (also known as Player 001) in Squid Game, was cleared of sexual misconduct charges by a South Korean court, as reported by BBC. The 81-year-old was indicted in 2022 after accusations surfaced that he had forcibly hugged and kissed a woman on her cheek back in 2017. The complaint was initially made in 2021 but the case was dismissed in April of the same year. It was reopened later at the insistence of the alleged victim, as per reports by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency (via BBC).

Previously, O was convicted of the alleged attack and sentenced to an eight-month suspended sentence with an additional requirement of 40 hours of sexual violence education. At that time, the judge noted that the statements of O’s accuser were “consistent … and seem to be based on actual experiences,” according to Deadline. The judge also mentioned that the victim’s diary entries and the psychological counseling report post-incident were closely aligned with the case details.

However, this decision was recently overturned. The Suwon District Court expressed concerns that the victim’s memories might have altered over time. “When in doubt… the benefit of the doubt must be given to the defendant,” the court stated, noting that O had completed his mandated courses on sexual violence. The court also acknowledged the possibility that O might have committed the assault, since he had issued an apology to the victim.

“This ruling does not negate the truth or diminish the pain I endured,” stated O’s accuser through a response issued by the women’s rights organization Womenlink. She vowed to “continue to speak the truth to the very end.” Womenlink also condemned the verdict, criticizing it as another example of the theater world hiding incidents of sexual violence. While the prosecution retains the right to appeal the decision, it has not yet indicated if it will pursue this.

Outside of his controversial Squid Game role, O has had a distinguished career in theater. In 2022, he made history by becoming the first South Korean to earn a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series for his performance in Squid Game.