The actor Ha-young, who caused an uproar over allegations of her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions, ultimately broke down in tears on the drama set, halting filming.
On the 16th, according to the entertainment industry and broadcasting circles, Ha-young is currently filming the SBS new drama The Long Shot Trial. The production is in its final stages of filming, aiming to air in the first half of next year.
On the 13th, Ha-young became emotionally agitated during filming and burst into tears, and filming was briefly halted. She is reported to have taken a break for several hours to compose herself and then barely resumed filming.
Earlier, on the 10th, controversy spread after revelations about pro-Japanese actions by Ha-young's late great-grandfather An Sang-ho during the Japanese occupation of Korea. After it was revealed that Ha-young's great-grandfather An Sang-ho had been introduced in the Japanese general government publication as adopting Japanese-style living and had worked at Sorokdo Hospital, further confirmation that his name appeared on the 1916 council member list of the pro-Japanese organization Daejeong Chinmokhoe raised suspicions of pro-Japanese behavior.
At first, the agency, which had called the controversy "groundless," reversed its position a day after checking the records and officially apologized, saying it had realized the need for careful verification and would approach the matter with a cautious and humble attitude for causing concern. Ha-young, who had boasted about her family on variety shows, also posted a handwritten apology and bowed, saying, "I learned of my great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions after looking up related materials. I regret having lightly mentioned my family history without properly understanding history."
August 11, shortly after the controversy, was Ha-young's birthday, but the planned celebratory cake event at the set was canceled, and it reportedly passed in a somber atmosphere.
SBS is taking a cautious stance regarding whether Ha-young will leave the production. A lead actor replacement is realistically difficult because a substantial portion of the filming has already been completed.
However, the broadcast timing has emerged as a major variable. The Long Shot Trial is scheduled for programming in February next year, making it likely to air around the March 1 anniversary. Additionally, concerns have arisen that the backlash could intensify because the work is a remake of a Japanese drama and the lead actor's pro-Japanese controversy coincides with that fact.
The repercussions are spreading widely to advertising and broadcasting. Commercials for electronics and clothing brands featuring Ha-young as a model have been set to private, and the VOD service for KBS 2TV's Problem Child in House, which mentioned her great-grandfather, was also immediately suspended. Promotional content on OTT platforms such as Netflix has also become uncertain. In addition, as of OSEN confirmation on the 16th, LG Uplus set to private the video it had filmed in 2019 after selecting Ha-young as an advertising model.
[Photo] Ha-young SNS
[OSEN]