South Koreanhit showSquid Gameis facing scrutiny for castingLee Jin-wookin its second season after the actor wasaccused of rapeand countersued the alleged victim.
The controversy surrounding the actor’s casting reignited on Friday (September 20) when Netflix released the trailer for the second season of the survival thriller.
HighlightsSquid Game 2 is facing backlash for casting Lee Jin-wook, who was accused of rape in 2016 and countersued the alleged victim.Lee Jin-wook’s rape accusation led to controversy as the victim was first found not guilty, then later sentenced to 8 months in prison for false allegations.South Korea’s rape laws require proof of violence or intimidation, making it challenging to prosecute non-consensual sex that does not involve physical violence.
RELATED:
Netflix has released its official trailer for the second season of Squid Game, reigniting the controversy over the casting of Lee Jin-wook
Image credits:netflixkr
Oh consistently insisted during questioning that the sex was not agreed on and that she vividly expressed how shameful she felt afterward,The Korea Timesreported.
During the investigation—which involved a lie detector, according to the outlet—the accuser reportedly admitted that her testimony was false.
“It is true she confessed to false allegations,”police saidat the time. “She made the admission after we went through her statement and found no evidence of the alleged sexual assault.”
Image credits:jinuk0916
However, during an interview with The Fact, she claimed that the police had coerced her into saying she had not been sexually assaulted.
The woman was declared not guilty of making false allegations a year later.
“Even from Lee’s statements, it appeared he neither asked her whether she agreed to have sex with him nor she consented to that,”the court said. “It is thus plausible that Lee’s false accusation charge does not have any evidence.”
Then, the actor appealed the verdict in court.
Explaining the decision,the court statedthat the sexual intercourse had not been “oppressive” enough to be considered rape, despite acknowledging the possibility that Oh may have “secretly” not consented to the act.
“In order to determine if she can be sued for false accusation, we must first look at whether Oh was compelled or intimidated into sexual relations,” they wrote.
“It is difficult to completely eliminate the possibility that sexual relations took place against Oh’s inner wishes, but it is also not possible to say that oppressive tactics were used.
“As Oh has common sense, she likely knew the difference between sexual relations that one secretly does not want to engage in and rape that occurs with oppressive tactics.”
The 43-year-old actor filed a countersuit against the woman, which resulted in her serving eight months in prison
Image credits:tastefullysaucy
Lee’s sexual assault case was forwarded to the prosecution, and he was found not guilty after a twenty-day police investigation in August 2016.
“The investigation has proven that truth wins over lies,”said C&CO ENS, the actor’s agency.
Korea’s criminal law defines the crime of rape as sexual activity against one’s will involving “violence or intimidation.”
This means that sexual assault under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a victim saying “no,” is not enough for the court to consider the act as rape. Prosecutors must prove that perpetrators used or threatened violence against victims.
Image credits:PopBase
While Lee was cleared of charges in August 2016, the woman was jailed for false allegations after a judge concluded that the sexual relations had not been “oppressive”
On social media, many people continue to believe Lee is guilty and are criticizingSquid Gamedirector Hwang Dong-hyuk and the producers for casting someone they consider to be a rapist.
“This is insane how they will still glorify those men,” one user wrote.
“I’m glad a lot of ppl noticed. It is too easy for men to get away with their crimes,” another commented.
“Korea’s judiciary makes sexist rulings,” a third stated. “South Korea’s laws protect perpetrators and oppress victims. I hope the international community recognizes the misogyny inSouth Korea.”
Somebody else added: “None of this is a secret either. All the Netflix execs and cast and crew know what he’s done and are still working with him. They are all complicit.”
The woman “likely knew the difference between sexual relations that one secretly does not want to engage in and rape that occurs with oppressive tactics,” the court stated
basically, his side completely ruled out the possibility (the fact actually) that he used vi0lence on her, but she didn’t dare to ab*se him in self defense. the legal argument was “if she didn’t want it she could’ve fought him“.lee jinwook NEVER refuted that consent wasn‘t givenpic.twitter.com/8WNpKmdwhL
— ۟ (@nwjns1st)August 14, 2024
In South Korea, rape is defined as sexual activity against one’s will involving “violence or intimidation,” which means that non-consensual relations are not considered sexual abuse
ASouth Koreanuser called for producers to stop casting actors who have been accused of rape. “There are many male actors in my country who have committed sexual crimes and are still appearing in the media. We need help to make people aware of these crimes and ban these actors from appearing on television.”
Lee previously worked with director Hwang Dong-hyuk for the 2014 filmMiss Granny.
On social media, people have been calling out the director and producers of the Netflix show for their choice of casting Lee
Image credits:Netflix
“When I heard that the next season was in the works, I eagerly wanted to be a part of it, so I’m excited to have a role and will give my best effort to deliver a great performance,” the 43-year-old said of the upcoming season ofSquid Gameduring a recent interview withHomme Singapore.
Since being accused of sexual assault, Lee has been cast in numerous South Koreanshows, including the Netflix apocalyptic horror seriesSweet Homeand the crime thrillerVoice. He will also star in the upcoming romance dramaDear Hyeri, set to premiere on September 23.
“I don’t know how he still gets work after the allegations,” an X user wrote
Linas Simonaitis
Neilas Šurkus
Justina Čiapaitė
Celebrities
