Actor Ha-young, embroiled in controversy over her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities, will step down from the follow-up season of the Netflix series "The Trauma Code: Heroes on call."
Netflix said on the 1st, "Respecting the actor's position, Ha-young has decided not to appear in the sequel to 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on call.'"
Ha-young played trauma team nurse Cheon Jang-mi in season 1 of "The Trauma Code: Heroes on call," released last year, working with Ju Jihoon and Choo Young-Woo. She was set to appear in seasons 2 and 3, but after the recent controversy over her family history, she is leaving the project.
The controversy began when Ha-young appeared last month on KBS 2TV variety show "Problem Child in House" and introduced herself as coming from four generations of doctors. It later became known that her great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho (1872–1927), a physician during the Japanese colonial period, and online allegations surfaced about Ahn's pro-Japanese activities.
Ha-young later apologized, saying she learned of her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities while personally reviewing related materials. She said, "I reflect on mentioning my family history lightly without properly knowing the painful history of our country," adding, "I accept that fault gravely and sincerely apologize as a descendant."
But the controversy did not subside, and demands continued that Ha-young step down from the SBS drama "The Long Shot Trial," in which she finished most of the filming as a lead, and from the follow-up season of "The Trauma Code: Heroes on call."