Oh Dal Soo Leaves "My Ahjussi" Cast After Further Sexual Harassment Accusations

Actor Oh Dal Soo has left the tvN drama “My Ahjussi” after further accusations of sexual harassment.

Oh Dal Soo has recently been accused of both sexual harassment and sexual assault, with his agency denying the allegations. On February 27’s episode of JTBC’s “Newsroom,” actress Uhm Ji Young came forward to say that she was also sexually harassed by Oh Dal Soo.

During her interview, Uhm Ji Young mentioned the previous accusations and said, “I thought Oh Dal Soo would apologize. But instead of an apology, he acted as if the incident never happened because it was an anonymous report. I couldn’t forgive him for that.”

Uhm Ji Young went into detail about being sexually harassed by Oh Dal Soo and answered questions related to the incident.

She began, “In early 2000, I met Oh Dal Soo in Busan with people from my theater group. In 2003, when there was an audition in Seoul, I asked him for advice. He said he was embarrassed because his face was well-known and said we should go somewhere, which was a motel. He said he was divorced and didn’t have a home, and that this was where he was staying.”

She continued, “When I hesitated, he said, ‘I feel weird because you’re acting like that,’ and I eventually followed him in and was sexually harassed. He said that we should speak comfortably and that we should wash up since it was hot. He put his hands on my body to take my clothes off. He kept doing that in the bathroom too and I ran away and was able to avoid the incident escalating further.”

She added, “At first, I saw the post [with the original sexual harassment accusations] and thought, ‘I can speak up too’ and waited. But she deleted her post after being attacked in a witch hunt. I thought that if I also didn’t reveal my name, it would be treated as if it never happened.”

She said, “I was amazed that even on my way here, I saw that he said, ‘Let’s talk face to face.’ So I thought, ‘Yes. Let’s talk face to face,’ and came here.”

Uhm Ji Young currently teaches students who are preparing to become actors. She said, “I didn’t want these kids to also get sexually harassed on set like me after working hard and going to the Department of Theater and Film.”

About why she stayed silent all these years, she explained, “It wasn’t an atmosphere where I could say that kind of thing. When that incident happened, I asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’ The reaction was, ‘I did that because I adored you as a junior. If you think of it that way, then I become a weird person.’ If I continued to refuse, then he would curse during practice and it was that kind of atmosphere.”

She continued, “At that time, there weren’t many stages and there weren’t many performances for us to be on stage. Under those kinds of circumstances, directors, seniors, and juniors would say things like, ‘She’s rude so don’t use her.’ I had to keep working in plays so I couldn’t say anything.”

When asked if there other victims who have been harassed by Oh Dal Soo, Uhm Ji Young replied, “I haven’t heard names, but while working with people from the Yeonheedan theater company, I heard a lot of things. I definitely think there are more…” She then began to tear up.

She added, “I feel sorry and awful that there are more [victims], but more people should come forward. Then we can stop Oh Dal Soo from saying that there is no proof and that it never happened.”

Uhm Ji Young added, “What would be the reason that I, an actress, would expose my name and say that I suffered from this kind of incident?”

Later that day, tvN drama “My Ahjussi” announced that after discussing with Oh Dal Soo, it was decided that he would be withdrawing from the drama.

Oh Dal Soo’s agency has stated that they are currently looking into the new accusations.

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