"Ha-young likely didn't know about her great-great-grandfather's pro-Japanese collaboration... Criticism seems excessive." Yoon Il-sang on the controversy [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Composer Yoon Il-sang expressed his thoughts regarding the controversy over actor Ha-young's (real name Ahn Ha-young) great-great-grandfather's pro-Japanese collaboration.

Recently, a video titled "Yoon Il-sang's Take on the Controversy Over Actor Ha-young's Great-Great-Grandfather's Pro-Japanese Collaboration" was uploaded to his YouTube channel 'Produce Yoon Il-sang'.

In the video, Yoon Il-sang addressed the controversy surrounding Ha-young's great-great-grandfather, stating, "I believe Ha-young was unaware of this." He added, "However, Ahn Sang-ho (Ha-young's great-great-grandfather) had pro-Japanese activities beyond imagination. The extent was extremely excessive."

Yoon Il-sang said, "Those who committed such acts should naturally be criticized," and added, "Didn't the Syngman Rhee administration fail to properly address pro-Japanese collaboration? If possible, I support measures to deal with pro-Japanese history."

He further stated, "If Ha-young was unaware of her family's detailed history, one could argue that 'not knowing itself is problematic,' but I believe the current level of criticism directed at Ha-young personally may be excessive. While ignorance can be criticized, it should not be condemned as if she committed the act herself."

Yoon Il-sang emphasized, "We must strive to do better for independence activists and their descendants. We should expose them more so they receive benefits," adding, "I believe we should focus more on rewarding gratitude than amplifying criticism."

He also remarked, "Selling out the country is truly wrong. That must be punished. I hope it gets punished even now. Assets should be recovered."

Meanwhile, Ha-young appeared on KBS 2TV's variety program 'Problem Children Are Here' broadcast on the 7th, revealing that her family has been a lineage of doctors for four generations. She explained, "My great-great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan and was the first doctor to open a clinic in Hanyang," adding that he "treated patients up to Ko Jong (황제)."

However, after the broadcast, Ahn Sang-ho, identified as Ha-young's great-great-grandfather, resurfaced online with his past pro-Japanese activities, sparking controversy.

In response, Ha-young's agency issued a statement on the 10th regarding the allegations of pro-Japanese collaboration surrounding Ahn Sang-ho, initially claiming they were "baseless." However, the agency reversed its position just one day later. On the 11th, the agency stated, "We have confirmed that records exist showing Ahn Sang-ho's name on the list of councilors for the 1916 Daetong Friendship Association. We sincerely apologize for causing confusion by hastily responding 'baseless' without sufficient verification."

Ha-young also posted a handwritten apology on Instagram, stating, "I spoke about my great-great-grandfather as if it were family pride while unaware of the facts. The fact that I was unaware does not justify ignoring or trivializing history. I deeply accept this fault and sincerely apologize as a descendant."

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*This content was translated by AI.