The controversy has quickly become a major issues, coming just days before South Korea marks National Liberation Day on August 15 and as the actor promotes her latest K-drama , Our Sticky Love. South Korean actor Ha Young has personally apologised after controversy erupted over her great-grandfather’s alleged ties to a pro-Japanese organisation during the colonial period. The actor, who rose to wider recognition through Netflix’s The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, has now addressed the issue personally after her agency initially denied the allegations before later confirming that historical records did exist.
Main Development
She explained that she did not have all the facts when the allegations first surfaced and accepted responsibility for the incorrect statement being released. Ha Young also addressed the confusion created by her agency’s first response to the reports. “When the controversy first arose, I myself did not know the exact facts, which led to the agency releasing a statement claiming the reports were ‘groundless.
I believe it was my own shortcoming that allowed such an incorrect statement to be delivered without sufficient verification,” the actor said.
Key Details
The controversy began after Ha Young appeared on the KBS variety show Problem Child in House on August 7. “I deeply regret that I spoke of my family history so lightly without properly understanding the painful history of our country during the Japanese colonial period. I take that mistake heavily and as a descendant, I am sincerely sorry,” she further wrote. During the appearance, she spoke about her family’s medical background and mentioned her great-grandfather’s connection to Japan. I heard he even treated Emperor Gojong. online users later connected her comments to Dr Ahn Sang Ho Although Ha Young did not identify him by name during the show. As per reports, historical records show that Ahn received Japan’s first medical license issued to a Korean. He also married a Japanese woman and adopted Japanese customs. It added that the actress would approach her work with a more cautious and humble attitude. The KBS episode of Problem Child in House featuring the actor has also reportedly been suspended from replay, while some of her advertising videos have been made private.
[ Also read: Ha Young controversy explained: Our Sticky Love actor apologises over great-grandfather’s alleged pro-Japanese ties ] The actor said she now understands that she should have approached her family history with greater care, particularly given the painful history of Korea under Japanese colonial rule. She had said, “My great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan and opened the first Western-style clinic in Hanyang. Reports also cited a 1918 interview with Maeil Sinbo in which Ahn was quoted as saying he was “like a Japanese” and that he did not wear Korean clothing. The agency said Ha Young was also deeply troubled by the situation and would be more careful in how she handled her activities going forward. “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,” it further read.