On the eve of Liberation Day, Kim Yong Man, a lawmaker described as the great-grandson of Baekbeom Kim Gu, shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding actress Ha-young.
Kim Yong Man of the Democratic Party of Korea appeared on the Newsroom interview segment 'Direct question' on the 14th.
Appearing the day before the 81st anniversary of Liberation Day, Rep. Kim said of the pro-Japanese controversy involving Ha-young's great-grandfather, "When we are born as someone's child, we cannot choose our parents," and said, "The more important thing is what actions you take when you learn the facts about your ancestors' steps."
He added, "I hope the mistakes of previous generations will be interpreted and acted on from the perspective of historical justice, and if that happens, I think the public will judge."
Asked whether the saying "If you fight for independence, three generations suffer; if you are pro-Japanese, three generations prosper" is correct, he diagnosed, "That's the reality. The annual income of descendants of independence activists is around 25 million won, which is lower than the median income."
He also expressed expectations for the activities of the "Committee to investigate the assets of pro-Japanese anti-national actors," set to launch in December. Rep. Kim said, "After 2000 we attempted to recover assets once, but we could not recover even 5% of the hidden assets we identified," and evaluated, "Even if illegally acquired assets were liquidated and disposed of, we have established a legal basis to recover them."
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Kim Gu's birth and has been designated by UNESCO as the "year of Baekbeom." Would Kim Gu's aspiration, who declared "what I desire above all is the power of a high culture," have been realized now in 2026? Rep. Kim answered, "We are moving in the direction Baekbeom envisioned, and we have come quite far."
Meanwhile, Ha-young uploaded handwritten apology letters in Korean and Chinese to Instagram and the Chinese social network Xiaohongshu at similar times on the 12th. She posted apologies separately in Korean and Chinese, but on the afternoon of the 14th the apology on the Chinese social network was suddenly deleted, raising questions. The Korean apology, however, remains posted.
Ha-young bowed her head and said, "I bow my head and apologize for causing great disappointment and hurt due to matters related to my great-grandfather. Upon encountering the past actions of my great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho, I have reflected on my family's history with a heavy heart. I only knew fragments of my great-grandfather's life from stories passed down through the family. Shamefully, in that ignorant state I have mentioned my great-grandfather in various settings as if he were a family pride," adding, "Through this incident I directly looked for related materials and learned of my great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions. I regret that I referenced family history lightly without properly knowing Korea's history, which endured the painful time of Japanese colonial rule."
[Photo] OSEN DB, Newsroom
[OSEN]