South Korean actor Ha Young, known recently for her role in the Netflix romantic comedy Our Sticky Love, is embroiled in controversy. Her promising career seems to have hit an unforeseen roadblock owing to her great-grandfather’s alleged connection to an organisation loyal to Japan during the Korean colonial period.
The actor, who became popular in recent times with the Netflix shows like The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and Teach You a Lesson, has had to cancel all her promotional events for her lead role in K-drama, Our Sticky Love, after her agency first denied and then admitted the existence of the records. The controversy comes just days before August 15, South Korea’s National Liberation Day, making the issue particularly sensitive.
How the controversy began
The issue was first raised when the actor made an appearance on a variety program Problem Child in House on August 7. She talked about the history of her family's career, as well as about the professional life of her great grandfather. “My great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan and opened the first Western-style clinic in Hanyang. I heard he even treated Emperor Gojong,” she said.
While Ha Young did not disclose his name during the show, the viewers found out that her great-grandfather was Dr. Ahn Sang Ho, who earned Japan’s very first medical license awarded to a Korean. His background came under the spotlight following the episode. Historical records cited in the controversy indicated that he got married to a Japanese woman and adopted a number of customs from the Japanese people. In one of his interviews published in the Maeil Sinbo newspaper in 1918, he reportedly stated that he was “like a Japanese” and did not wear Korean clothes.
{{/usCountry}}While Ha Young did not disclose his name during the show, the viewers found out that her great-grandfather was Dr. Ahn Sang Ho, who earned Japan’s very first medical license awarded to a Korean. His background came under the spotlight following the episode. Historical records cited in the controversy indicated that he got married to a Japanese woman and adopted a number of customs from the Japanese people. In one of his interviews published in the Maeil Sinbo newspaper in 1918, he reportedly stated that he was “like a Japanese” and did not wear Korean clothes.
{{/usCountry}}More scrutiny ensued when documents revealed that Ahn Sang Ho was recorded as being a member of the council of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe, which was an association formed in 1916 to promote Japan-Korea assimilation under Japanese colonization. A 2007 research paper described the organisation as “a Japan-Korea assimilation organization aimed at endorsing the Governor-General's politics and harmonizing the Japanese and Korean ethnicities.”
Agency changes its position
Bistus Entertainment, the management company of Ha Young, denied the allegations on August 10 by calling them groundless, but reversed its stance on August 11 after a thorough search into their records. According to the latest statement, Ahn Sang Ho was a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916.
As translated by the publication Soompi, the statement read, “First, we would like to address our previous statement that the reports were groundless. Upon further verification, we have confirmed that there is indeed an existing record of her great-grandfather, doctor Ahn Sang Ho, being listed as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916. We sincerely apologize for causing confusion by hastily responding that the reports were groundless without sufficient verification”
The statement further read, “During a recent appearance on a broadcast program, actress Ha Young mentioned her family’s four-generation legacy in the medical field while responding to a question. The actress herself is feeling very heavy-hearted that this has unintentionally led to controversy. Through this incident, our company has deeply realized how much careful verification is required when conveying historical facts and an individual’s background to the public. Actress Ha Young also deeply takes to heart the concern caused by this incident, and she will approach her future activities with a more cautious and humble attitude.”
Ha Young’s promotions affected
The scandal has already had its direct effects on the promotion schedule of Ha Young for Our Sticky Love, which marks her first lead role. The romantic comedy stars Ha Young together with Jung Hae In. As reported by Korean media outlet The Chosun Daily, she was supposed to attend a round table discussion for the series on August 14, the day before National Liberation Day. These interviews have since been cancelled, supposedly due to the controversy surrounding her.
The replays of the episode of Problem Child in House have reportedly been stopped, as well as some ads of the actor have also been made private.
What does this mean for her next drama?
The controversy has emerged at a crucial point in the career of Ha Young. She will be appearing along with Lee Je Hoon in an upcoming SBS drama titled There’s a Winning Chance, which is a drama series expected to air in 2027. The drama is said to be a fun and comedic legal detective series about an odd law firm that takes up cases that cannot be won.
According to XportsNews, a representative of the network said in a statement, “There’s a Winning Chance has already completed a significant portion of filming. We ask for your understanding as it is difficult to provide specific details regarding the amount filmed or the exact production progress at this time. We are aware of the matter and are closely monitoring how the situation develops. If there are any updates, we will share them.”
Lee Je Hoon is cast as Kwon Baek, a former lawyer whose practice became unsuccessful after he lost his license and ended up running a failing law firm. Meanwhile, Ha Young will be leading as Yeo Shim Hee, a young lawyer who was born into a less privileged family.
She is also set to star in the second season of The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call along with Ju Ji Joon, Choo Young Woo and Yoon Kyung Ho. As per reports, the season 2 and 3 will be filmed simultaneously with shooting begin this October.
Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.