Actress Ha Young has apologized after records confirmed that her great-grandfather, physician Ahn Sang-ho, was listed as a council member of an organization linked to pro-Japanese figures during Korea’s colonial period.
On August 11, Ha Young’s agency, Bistus Entertainment, released a statement addressing the controversy. The agency admitted that it had first called the claims about Ahn Sang-ho “groundless” before checking the historical records more carefully, Korea Times reported.
“Regarding our earlier statement claiming the allegations were ‘groundless,’ secondary verification confirmed that the name of her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, does indeed appear on the 1916 counselor roster of the Daejeong Friendship Association,” the agency said.
Bistus Entertainment apologized for the earlier response and said Ha Young was deeply troubled by the controversy. The agency also said both Ha Young and the company now understand the importance of checking historical information before sharing it publicly.
The issue began after Ha Young appeared on a KBS talk show on August 7. During the program, she spoke about her family’s medical background and said her great-grandfather had studied Western medicine in Japan, opened a private Western medical clinic in Seoul and treated Emperor Gojong.
Ha Young’s Family History Sparks Public Debate
Online users later identified the doctor as Ahn Sang-ho and raised questions about his activities during Japanese colonial rule, which lasted from 1910 to 1945.
Historical records added to the criticism. A December 1918 article in Maeil Sinbo, a newspaper published under the Japanese colonial government, quoted Ahn as describing his family as fully assimilated into Japanese culture.
The report said his household wore Japanese clothing, used Japanese family practices and banned the Korean language at home.
According to AllKPop, other records show that Ahn was listed as a council member of the Daejeong Friendship Association in 1916. The organization was founded by business figures who included Japanese collaborators Lee Wan-yong and Song Byeong-jun.
The controversy also brought attention to Ha Young’s late grandfather, Ahn Boo-ho, who worked as a medical professor and later at Sorokdo National Hospital. His work there took place during a period when serious human rights abuses involving Hansen’s disease patients were reported. However, there is no evidence provided that Ahn Boo-ho was directly involved in those abuses.
Ha Young is currently appearing in the Netflix series ‘Our Sticky Love’ and recently starred in ‘The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.’ Bistus Entertainment said it would continue checking other claims surrounding Ha Young’s family history. The agency also confirmed that her professional schedule remains unchanged.