The prosecution sought a one-year prison sentence for actor Oh Young-soo, 81, who received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial for the charge of forcibly molesting a woman in 2017, during the appeal trial.
During the sentencing hearing for Oh's charge of sexual assault held on the 3rd at the Suwon District Court's 6th Criminal Appeals Division, presided over by Director General Kwak Hyoung-seop, Kim Eun-jung, and Kang Hee-kyung, the prosecution requested the court to impose a one-year prison sentence, stating, "The defendant is a veteran who has worked in the theater world for 50 years, and this is a serious matter where he sexually assaulted a promising newcomer to the theater world."
The prosecution noted that "the defendant has not been forgiven by the victim and is instead claiming that the victim is making false statements," and stated, "The victim is living in fear in her daily life, including at work. Please impose a severe sentence."
Oh's lawyer argued in the final statement that "the only evidence of the charges, the victim's testimony, lacks consistency and specificity and is contradictory in itself," adding, "It goes against common sense and experience and contradicts objective facts such as third-party testimonies."
He continued, "The first trial seems to believe that the guilty verdict was due to the apology message the defendant sent to the victim. When 'Squid Game' became a topic of conversation, I was suddenly asked to apologize, which was shocking for me, but I apologized formally so as not to harm the actors and producers," and stated, "The defendant, having lived for 80 years, has committed no crimes and believes theater is his calling, having solely engaged in theater activities. He has lost everything due to this incident, but please allow him to restore his honor and finish his life on stage."
In his final statement, Oh said, "At this age, I am embarrassed to stand in court. If my actions at the time were wrong and that constitutes a crime, I will accept the consequences, but I still believe that there was nothing in my behavior at that time that could be considered molestation."
Oh is accused of forcibly molesting victim A while staying in Daegu for a theater performance in the summer of 2017, hugging her on a walking path and kissing her on the cheek in front of her residence, among other actions. Oh has denied all charges throughout the investigation and trial process, but the first trial court recognized his charges as guilty last March, sentencing him to eight months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence.