Park Yu-ha, an emeritus professor at Sejong University and author of "Comfort Women of the Empire," criticized the controversy over actor Ha Young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese conduct, saying it stems from a "chastity obsession."
Park on the 11th shared her view on the recent pro-Japanese controversy, mentioning Ha Young's great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, on her social media.
Park said Ahn Sang-ho was the first doctor to study Western medicine in Joseon and the first government-sponsored overseas student of the Korean Empire. She added that after Ahn returned to Korea, he served as Sunjong's personal physician, arguing, "Rather than being honors built through pro-Japanese ties, he appears to be a figure who became a pioneer in the medical field through his own ability and state support."
Regarding Ahn's record of treating Lee Wan-yong, one of the Five Eulsa Traitors, Park said, "Even if it wasn't Lee Wan-yong but an ordinary person, if possible they would have wanted to be treated by him," explaining that a physician's act of treatment cannot be equated with pro-Japanese conduct.
Park also stressed that the social structure of the colonial period must be considered. She said it was hard for Joseon people active in politics, the economy, culture, and education during Japanese rule to avoid having some relationship with the colonial administration.
She said, "Those who held leadership positions under Japanese rule were structurally bound to appear pro-Japanese from their schooling to their activities," raising issues with evaluating figures of the time uniformly by today's standards.
She also expressed concern about criticism directed at Ha Young. Park said, "Even you who condemn actor Ha Young might, if you trace back, have a Japanese ancestor," even suggesting that some people's ancestors may have been among wartime volunteers or applicants for Soshi-kaimei.
She went on, "Regardless of the facts, that kind of imagination is necessary. Only then can you prevent your reflex to condemn from mercilessly destroying a person in advance." The point was that rather than condemning a specific person's family history solely by today's standards, we should also examine the social context of the time.
Park pointed to a "chastity obsession" as what drives the current controversy. She emphasized the need for an attitude that recognizes and accepts the complex historical realities of the era, rather than trying to erase every trace of colonial rule unconditionally.