Actress Ha Young reportedly broke down in tears while filming her upcoming SBS drama on August 13, temporarily stopping production as controversy over her late great-grandfather’s pro-Japanese history continues.
According to reports on August 16, Ha Young was filming the final stages of “There Is a Chance of Winning” when she became overwhelmed and could not regain her composure. Production was paused while she took several hours to rest and calm down. She later returned to the set and completed her scheduled filming.
The emotional moment came just days after Ha Young faced growing criticism over the history of her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang Ho, during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea.
The controversy began after records linked Ahn Sang Ho to pro-Japanese activities. Reports said he was featured in a publication by the Japanese colonial government for adopting a Japanese-style lifestyle. He also worked at Sorokdo Hospital and was listed in 1916 as a member of the Daejeong Friendship Association, which has been identified as a pro-Japanese organization, AllKPop reported.
Ha Young had previously spoken about her great-grandfather on KBS2’s “Problem Child in House,” saying that he had opened a Western medicine clinic in Hanyang and treated King Gojong.
The later discovery of records about Ahn Sang Ho led to questions about the family history she had discussed publicly.
Ha Young Faces Growing Career Fallout
Her agency first denied the allegations, calling them baseless. After checking the historical records, however, the agency changed its position and apologized.
Ha Young also shared a handwritten apology. She said she had only recently learned about her great-grandfather’s pro-Japanese activities while researching the relevant records and expressed regret for speaking about her family history without fully understanding its historical context.
According to TheChosun, the controversy also affected Ha Young’s birthday. A cake celebration that had been planned for August 11 on the drama set was canceled, with reports describing the atmosphere that day as somber.
Despite the situation, Ha Young remains involved in “There Is a Chance of Winning.” SBS has said a large part of filming has already been completed and that it is closely watching the situation.
Reports indicate that nearly 90% of production is finished, making a change to the female lead difficult and costly. The drama is expected to air in February next year, close to March 1, Korea’s Independence Movement Day.
Reruns of “Problem Child in House” featuring her comments about her great-grandfather were also suspended, while some promotional content involving Netflix remains uncertain.