"I have never made a statement of personal conviction"... After mentioning the controversy over great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities, broadcaster Lee Hye-sung faces backlash [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Broadcaster Lee Hye-sung issued an explanation after drawing attention for mentioning a case reminiscent of the controversy over actor Ha Young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities.

On the 21st, Lee posted on her social media (SNS) account, "I have never made a 'statement of personal conviction.' The sentence 'Should descendants atone for the sins of their ancestors?' is not an expression of my opinion, but a quote from page 297 of Michael Sandel's book 'Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?', where the question is raised," she explained.

She added, "For those too busy to watch the long video, you can check the relevant content by watching the review of the book on 'Lee Hye-sung's 1% Book Club' from 35 minutes and 15 seconds or 38 minutes and 10 seconds."

Previously, on the 20th, Lee uploaded a video titled "The justice we believed to be right might have been wrong. What is Justice?" to her YouTube channel.

In the video, she said, "Recently, there was controversy when it was revealed that a public figure's great-grandfather had engaged in pro-Japanese activities during the Japanese colonial period," adding, "Some expressed anger, while others took a cautious stance."

She then posed the questions: "There is no room for disagreement regarding the clear wrongdoings of historical perpetrators. Should we atone on behalf of our ancestors' sins? Furthermore, should the state apologize for past historical wrongs?"

Lee used the phrase "a recent public figure" without revealing a specific name, but naturally evoked actor Ha Young, who recently suspended activities due to controversy over his great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities, sparking attention.

Meanwhile, Ha Young was embroiled in controversy as the past actions of his great-grandfather An Sang-ho (1874~1927) came under scrutiny.

Until now, Ha Young had emphasized on variety shows and YouTube content visited for work promotion that his family is a "medical family for four generations" and spoke about An Sang-ho, stating, "My great-grandfather was one of the first to open a Western medicine Jeon Mun (Rep.) in Han Yang. After studying medicine in Japan, he opened the first Yang (Rep.) in Han Yang and treated Ko Jong (황제)." However, after An Sang-ho's pro-Japanese history was later revealed, he faced fierce criticism.

An Sang-ho graduated from Tokyo Jia Medical School in Japan in 1902 and is a figure who obtained the first Japanese medical license among Koreans, while also being a person suspected of pro-Japanese sympathies during the Japanese colonial period.

As the impact grew, Ha Young apologized through a handwritten statement saying, "I sincerely apologize as a descendant," but public outrage has not yet subsided.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original