Actor Ha-young apologized for her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions, but the damage was unavoidable.
On the 16th, OSEN confirmed that LG Uplus made private the video filmed in 2019 after selecting Ha-young as an advertising model.
The reason for making it private was not made clear, but it appears to be related to the recent controversy over Ha-young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions. Earlier, starting with clothing brand Atid, Samsung Electronics, Naver, Project M and the Ministry of Health and Welfare converted advertising videos they had worked on with Ha-young to private and distanced themselves. With the seven-year-old LG Uplus advertisement also made private, it shows how serious the controversy over Ha-young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions is.
Also, the visible radio video of SBS PowerFM "Wendy's Youngstreet," which Ha-young appeared on on the 5th, was also made private. This, too, appears to be tied to the controversy over Ha-young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions.
Ha-young was swept up in controversy over her family's pro-Japanese actions after it was revealed that her great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho, who graduated from Tokyo Jahye Medical School in 1902, returned home to teach Western medicine and served as a royal medical staffer. A 1918 article in Maeil Sinbo, the Japanese general government's official newspaper in Korea, raised suspicions of pro-Japanese actions, saying Ahn Sang-ho followed Japanese-style living after marrying a Japanese wife, and it became controversial that her grandfather Ahn Sang-ho was known to have worked at Sorokdo Hospital, where extreme human rights abuses were rampant.
Ha-young's side, which initially said the allegations of her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions were "groundless," reversed its position a day later, saying, "We have confirmed that a record actually exists showing that great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho's name appears on the 1916 Daijeong Chinmokhoe council member list," and apologized, saying, "The actor herself feels very heavyhearted about unintentionally causing this controversy. Our company has deeply realized through this incident how careful verification is needed when conveying historical facts and an individual's history to the public. Ha-young also deeply reflects on causing concern with this matter and will approach things more carefully and humbly going forward."
Ha-young also posted a handwritten apology on her channel, saying, "Through the process of looking up related materials myself because of this matter, I learned of my great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions. I reflect on having spoke lightly about family history without properly knowing the painful history Korea experienced during the Japanese colonial period."
Nonetheless, public opinion toward Ha-young is cold, and she currently has upcoming works including SBS's new drama "There is a chance" and Netflix's "Severe Costume Center 2." SBS and Netflix are watching developments over the controversy about Ha-young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions.
[OSEN]