Actor Ha-young was embroiled in controversy over allegations that her great-grandfather collaborated with the Japanese. Because such controversies are not the first in the entertainment industry, Ha-young's future actions are drawing attention.
Ha-young's great-grandfather was confirmed to be Ahn Sang-ho. On a recent broadcast of KBS2 'Problem Child in House', Ha-young said her great-grandfather opened the first Western-style hospital in Hanyang after studying in Japan and treated Emperor Gojong.
Some have speculated that Ha-young's great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho, who worked as a doctor during the Japanese colonial period and is suspected of pro-Japanese activities. Ahn Sang-ho entered Tokyo Jikei Medical School in Japan in 1898, passed the medical licensing exam in 1902, returned to Korea afterward, and is known to have treated Emperor Gojong alongside a Japanese doctor when Gojong collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1919.
In particular, a 1918 article in Maeil Shinbo, the organ of the Japanese general government, raised suspicions of pro-Japanese activities, saying Ahn Sang-ho married a Japanese wife and followed Japanese lifestyle practices. Regarding this, Ha-young's side drew a line, saying the allegations are unfounded.
This is not the first time allegations of pro-Japanese activities have erupted in the entertainment industry. Previously actors Gang Dong-won and Lee Ji-ah were embroiled in allegations that their great-great-grandfather and great-grandfather, respectively, collaborated with the Japanese.
Gang Dong-won was embroiled in controversy on online communities that his maternal great-grandfather was a pro-Japanese figure ahead of his appearance in the film '1987'. In the past Gang Dong-won mentioned his maternal great-grandfather Lee Jong-man, saying "he was the chairman of Daedong enterprise. He ran a gold mine," and Lee Jong-man is known as a pro-Japanese who accumulated wealth during the Japanese colonial period through gold mines, mines and education.
Gang Dong-won said, "Since childhood I grew up hearing stories praising my maternal great-grandfather. Because my maternal grandmother was the descendant of an independence activist, I naturally accepted the praise about my maternal great-grandfather, and at the time of the 2007 interview I did not accurately recognize his wrongdoings," and bowed his head, saying, "This matter was confusing and the shock was great. Moreover, because it concerns family history, we needed to accurately understand the issue and needed time to review related materials. I apologize to those involved for the immature response that came out during this process."
The claim that Lee Ji-ah's grandfather was a pro-Japanese figure dates back to 2011. At the time Jeong Dae-chul, senior advisor to the Democratic Party, said in an interview that Lee Ji-ah's family had been wealthy even before liberation, ran a silk shop in Jongno and donated large sums to education projects, and that the family was not only rich but also had prestige. Lee Ji-ah's grandfather was identified as Kim Soon-hong, and he became controversial for being a large landowner during the Japanese colonial period, for allegations of being a donor of defense goods to the Japanese, for being ranked first on the pro-Japanese purge list compiled by Kim Gu of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and for being listed as a pro-Japanese and anti-national actor in the pro-Japanese biographical dictionary.
Later controversy flared again when Kim Soon-hong's son, a person surnamed Kim, was reported to be engaged in a legal battle with his siblings over the land repurchase process, and Lee Ji-ah said, "My grandfather died when I was two, so I have no memories of him and grew up knowing nothing about his pro-Japanese acts. After first learning of the matter through a 2011 article, I visited The Center for Historical Truth and Justice several times to verify the facts and study related materials. In that process I confirmed my grandfather's donation records, and even considering the historical background of the time I think such acts cannot be justified for any reason. If the land in Anyang at the center of this controversy was acquired during the Japanese colonial period, I believe it must be returned to the state," she said, expressing her conviction and confronting the issue head-on.
Gang Dong-won received support after apologizing, while Lee Ji-ah chose to confront the issue head-on. Ha-young, who said the allegations about her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities are "groundless," how will she overcome this crisis. Ha-young is scheduled to meet reporters on the 14th through an interview about 'Our Sticky Love'. She will not be able to avoid related questions at that event. All eyes and ears are on Ha-young's position.
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