[Interview①] "Now I Can Speak" Oh Dal-su Responds to the 'Me Too' Incident

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Oh Dal-su candidly responded to questions regarding the ‘Me Too’ controversy and the allegations raised against him.

On the afternoon of the 19th, Oh Dal-su shared various stories during an interview held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of the release of the film Neighbor (Director Lee Hwang-gyeong).

Previously, Oh Dal-su was accused of sexual assault and harassment during the global spread of the ‘Me Too’ movement in February 2018, which aimed to expose sexual violence through public solidarity. On February 15 and 19 of the same year, anonymous women revealed that they had been sexually harassed by Oh Dal-su during their theater activities in 1993 and have been suffering from aftereffects ever since.

Six days later, on February 26, Oh Dal-su denied the allegations, stating, “I have no such memories at all.” However, the next day, on the 27th, a theater actor publicly revealed her face and real name on JTBC’s Newsroom, claiming she had been sexually assaulted. In response, on the 28th, Oh Dal-su announced he would halt his activities, saying, “I will live with a repentant heart.” The ‘Me Too’ case was later closed due to the statute of limitations.

Questions were asked about doubts that could not be directly addressed to Oh Dal-su at the time. He carefully chose his words in response.

On February 15 and 19, 2018, allegations were made by women claiming to have been victims, and six days later, on the 26th, he issued a statement. Why was there a delay in responding?

“At that time, I was filming Neighbor somewhere in Chungcheong Province. We even rented old cars on Mapo Bridge for the shoot, and there were about 200 to 300 extras involved in a complex filming process. I was busy filming a campaign scene in front of a packed crowd of citizens. It was an environment where I couldn’t focus on calls or anything else. Some people criticized, asking if we held a strategy meeting somewhere or why the announcement was delayed, but that’s not true. My sister called from Busan and asked, ‘Do you know what people are saying about you?’ I told her it was noisy and I was busy filming. I said I would handle it in Seoul, but things turned out the way they did.”

When asked about his stance on the allegations made by the women at the time, Oh Dal-su had initially said, “My memory is not clear,” and later stated, “My memories differ from those of the women.” When asked if he had anything else to say aside from his unchanged official position, he replied, “No.”

Then, wouldn’t he feel unfair about the statements made by the women claiming to be victims? When asked directly why he was reserved in his response, he said:

“They are people involved in theater. One is currently doing theater in the provinces, and I also started in theater. Sometimes, in life, you just let things go. At this point, would saying this or that really have much meaning?”

Oh Dal-su, known as the ‘Ten Million Fairy,’ had appeared in a series of popular hit films. However, due to the ‘Me Too’ scandal, he has been in seclusion for two years and nine months. His claims have been met with mixed reactions from the film industry and the public. When asked about his thoughts on this, he said:

“Even world-class great actors receive different reviews depending on the viewer. I have caused damage to the public, haven’t I? So, of course, I don’t expect things to be like before. But these days, I’m finally starting to be treated like a person, which is good. I’m being treated as a person rather than a fairy. (laughs)”

There is a possibility that after the release of Neighbor, he might not be chosen by the film industry. When asked about this possibility, Oh Dal-su acknowledged, “Of course, there will be some impact.” He added, “Actors are chosen when directors think they are needed for a project. Actors enjoy filming when they play roles suitable for their acting. I am waiting for that choice.”

When asked about his feelings ahead of his comeback, Oh Dal-su replied, “Not much has changed. I’m over 50 years old; what would change?” He continued, “If I get a project, I will do well and get along with my colleagues. But I don’t want to hear that Oh Dal-su has changed.”

Neighbor tells the story of a provincial surveillance team facing demotion who disguise themselves as neighbors by moving next door to a politician’s family under home quarantine, monitoring them day and night. The film is directed by Lee Hwang-gyeong, who also directed Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013). It will be released on November 25.