Ha Young, finally bows head with handwritten apology... Will she be able to work like Kang Dong-won and Lee Ji-ah? [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Following three days of controversy over her great-great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities, actor Ha Young has finally bowed her head with a handwritten letter, drawing attention to how this may affect her future career.

In a self-written apology released on the 12th, Ha Young stated, "I sincerely apologize for causing great disappointment and pain due to matters related to my great-great-grandfather. Recently, upon learning about the past actions of my great-great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho, I have reflected on our family history with a heavy heart. Until now, I only knew fragments of his life through stories passed down within the family. Regrettably, in my ignorance, I had spoken about him at various occasions as if he were a source of family pride. Through this incident, while personally researching relevant materials, I learned of his pro-Japanese activities. I deeply regret having casually mentioned our family history without properly understanding Korea's painful past under Japanese colonial rule."

She continued, "When the controversy first arose, I too did not fully understand the facts, leading my agency to issue a statement claiming the allegations were baseless. I believe this was also due to my own shortcomings in failing to verify thoroughly before conveying an incorrect position. For causing even greater confusion and pain as a result, I sincerely apologize. Given how serious and shameful this matter is, I struggled with how best to express my remorse, which delayed my official statement. I offer my deepest apologies for this delay."

Ha Young added, "The fact that I was unaware of these events cannot be an excuse to ignore or trivialize history. I accept this fault heavily and, as a descendant, sincerely apologize. It is especially shameful that I caused controversy just before the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule. I will deeply internalize this incident. Moving forward, I will carefully examine our family history and the era it represents, adopting a more cautious attitude toward history. I will also study our nation's history in depth and strive to honor all those who contributed to Korea's independence and peace, including meritorious figures of the independence movement. I will not merely speak but act accordingly. Once again, I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been troubled by this matter."

On the 7th, Ha Young appeared on KBS 2TV's 'Problem Children in House' and revealed that her family has been a lineage of physicians for four generations. She further stated regarding her great-great-grandfather, "I heard he studied Western medicine in Japan and was the first physician to open a clinic in Hanyang, treating Ko Jong (황제)."

However, speculation later emerged that Ha Young's great-great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho, a physician active during the Japanese colonial period. As his past activities were re-examined, suspicions of pro-Japanese collaboration intensified. Additionally, controversy grew when it was revealed that her grandfather, Ahn Bu-ho, who served as dean of the College of Medicine at Catholic University of Korea's Joo Im (Prof.), had worked as a physician at National Sorokdo Hospital, where human rights abuses against leprosy patients occurred.

In response, Ha Young's agency, Bisters Entertainment, issued a statement on the 10th saying, "While confirming that Ahn Sang-ho is indeed Ha Young's great-great-grandfather, we deny any allegations of pro-Japanese activities as baseless." However, just one day later, the agency reversed its position, explaining, "Upon further verification, we confirmed records showing that Ahn Sang-ho was listed as a member of the 1916 Daetong Friendship Association's council. We sincerely apologize for causing confusion by hastily responding with 'baseless' without sufficient verification. This incident has deeply taught us how critical thorough verification is when conveying historical facts and an individual's biography to the public."

Due to this controversy, Ha Young faced intense criticism as multiple issues were simultaneously re-examined: her great-great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities, her grandfather's alleged human rights abuses at Sorokdo Hospital, and a past interview where her father mentioned the 'Japan-Korea Annexation.' Consequently, severe repercussions have followed, including the removal of promotional videos for Netflix's 'Such a Stupid Love,' cancellation of interviews, deletion of reruns from 'Problem Children in House,' and non-disclosure of advertising campaigns featuring Samsung Electronics and other brands.

Similar cases have occurred in the past. Actors Kang Dong-won and Lee Ji-ah also faced controversy when their families' pro-Japanese pasts were revealed.

At that time, both individuals issued direct statements and apologized regarding their families' histories.

Kang Dong-won faced severe criticism after it was revealed that his great-great-grandfather, Lee Jong-man, had pro-Japanese activities. In a 2007 interview, he introduced Lee Jong-man as the chairman of Daedong Enterprise who engaged in gold mining operations. However, Lee Jong-man was classified as a pro-Japanese figure who accumulated wealth during the Japanese colonial period through mines and education sectors.

Moreover, the controversy intensified because it erupted just before the release of '1987,' a film centered on Korea's democratization movement.

As the controversy grew, Kang Dong-won issued a direct statement, explaining, "I grew up hearing about my great-great-grandfather's virtuous deeds since childhood. At the time of the interview, I did not accurately recognize his wrongful actions."

He continued, "My failure to accurately understand the past, my immature response that sparked controversy, and my inability to state my position promptly are all my faults. Through this incident, I will study history more deeply and reflect on my mistakes."

Lee Ji-ah also faced significant difficulties when it was revealed that her grandfather, Kim Sun-hong, had pro-Japanese activities. The controversy resurfaced when it emerged that she was involved in an inheritance dispute over land reportedly left by Kim Sun-hong. Kim Sun-hong is known to have been a large landowner during the Japanese colonial period with records of donating military supplies to Japan.

Lee Ji-ah stated, "Since becoming independent at age 18, I have never received any financial support from my parents. Due to complex family matters, I cut ties with them over ten years ago. I know nothing about the family assets or lawsuits that became controversial and have no connection to them. I have no memories of my grandfather and grew up completely unaware of his pro-Japanese actions. In 2011, after learning of these facts through an article, I visited the Institute for Joint Research on Korean History to verify his donation records as a descendant. As a descendant, I sincerely apologize."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.