"Surprise Kiss and Forced Molestation"... Oh Young-soo's Accuser to Give Closed Testimony Today

The accuser of actor Oh Young-soo (78), who has been indicted on charges of sexual assault, will appear as a witness in court on the 14th to testify about the victimization at the time.

According to Yonhap News, Judge Park Sang-han of Criminal Division 6, Seongnam Branch of Suwon District Court, will hold the second hearing of Oh's sexual assault case in the afternoon and conduct a closed-door examination of the victim witness. The court decided this in the first trial in February to protect the victim's privacy and personal safety.

Oh is accused of hugging Ms. A while walking on a trail in Daegu around September 2017. He is also accused of kissing Ms. A on the cheek in the hallway in front of her residence.

Actor Oh Young-soo, the first Korean actor to win the Best Supporting Actor award at the American Golden Globe Awards. Oh Young-soo, who played Oh Il-nam in the Netflix series "Squid Game," won the Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama at the 79th Golden Globe Awards held on January 9, 2022 (local time) at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, USA.
[Photo by Netflix]

원본보기 아이콘

In the first trial, Oh denied the charges, stating that although he stayed in Daegu from July to September 2017 to perform in the play "King Lear," he did not sexually assault Ms. A. Oh Young-soo's defense attorney rebutted Ms. A's claim of being assaulted twice, saying, "It is true that he walked the trail with Ms. A and visited her residence, but there was no assault." The defense also argued that the time frame of the alleged crime was too broad and requested the court to dismiss the charges.

However, Ms. A's side appealed to the court for severe punishment against Oh Young-soo, stating that she is suffering from trauma. Ms. A's attorney claimed, "At the time of the assault, the victim was 22 years old and a junior member of the theater troupe. The defendant (Oh Young-soo) was 50 years older than the victim and actively used his superior position and experience within the troupe to forcibly hug and ambush-kiss the junior member, committing sexual assault."

He added, "Even when an apology was demanded, the defendant did not say he would not take legal action but admitted to all the crimes. Not only did he implant nightmare-like memories in the victim, but he also completely denied the allegations during the investigation phase and still shows little remorse, causing the victim to suffer trauma for years."

Actor Oh Young-soo is leaving the courthouse after finishing his first trial on charges of sexual assault on the afternoon of the 3rd at the Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

원본보기 아이콘

With the two sides sharply divided, a fierce battle over the truth is expected. Accordingly, the court decided to summon Ms. A for witness examination in the second hearing. The court plans to closely examine how consistent, detailed, and credible Ms. A's testimony is. Considering the possibility of secondary victimization, Ms. A's witness examination is expected to be conducted privately.

Earlier, Ms. A's attorney requested a closed-door witness examination, saying, "Since the victim is a newcomer to the theater world, revealing her identity could cause additional harm. We ask for special care to prevent her identity from being disclosed." He also requested the court to reflect on sentencing if the defendant causes her identity to be revealed.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.