"Your Loose Tongue Boasts Even Pro-Japanese Ancestors"... Author Slams Prestigious Family Actor over Great-Grandfather Controversy

So Jae-won Delivers Strong Criticism Over Ha Young’s Great-Grandfather’s Pro-Japanese Controversy
“Go to Sorokdo and Confront the Tragic History”

Actor Ha Young (real name: Ahn Ha Young) recently appeared on a variety show and proudly insisted that she comes from a “prestigious family of doctors for four generations.” Now, she is facing a strong backlash after her great-grandfather’s pro-Japanese past came to light. In response, author So Jae-won strongly criticized her, stating, “If history had properly punished pro-Japanese collaborators, would her descendants be able to brag so boldly?”

Actor Hayoung. Screenshot from Hayoung's Instagram

On the 11th, So commented on his social media, “I want to carefully share this story in response to her unbearably lighthearted family pride,” recalling his past visit to Sorokdo Island.

He mentioned his 2014 reporting trip to Sorokdo Island, saying, “Whether during the Japanese colonial period or under the Republic of Korea, Sorokdo has a history that can never be described as honorable.” He further pointed out that, although medicine was a profession saving lives for some at the time, on Sorokdo Island, it was also used to take lives.

So Jae-won, recalling the sterilization table and remains of victims still on Sorokdo, directly criticized, “If you indeed have such honorable and proud ancestors, then you should visit Sorokdo.” He added, “Face the tragic history committed during the Japanese colonial era and by the Republic of Korea. Witness with your own eyes and ears how your careless words diminish the value of precious sacrifices and injustices in history.”

The day before, So also directly called out Ha Young, saying, “We now live in a world where even having pro-Japanese ancestors is considered something to brag about. I can’t believe we have come to hear people brag about their pro-Japanese forebears. This must be because our history never punished the pro-Japanese collaborators.”

The Boast of a “Four-Generation Doctor Family” Leads to Exhumation

This controversy began with the August 7 broadcast of KBS 2TV’s variety show “Problem Child in House.” On the program, Ha Young introduced herself as coming from a family of doctors spanning four generations, saying, “My great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan and became the first Korean doctor to open a clinic in Hanyang and even treated Emperor Gojong.”

Actor Ha Young. Capture from Ha Young's Instagram

Immediately after the broadcast, Ha Young’s family was praised online as a “born-privileged gold spoon family.” However, investigations by internet users soon revealed that her great-grandfather was Ahn Sangho, the doctor who opened the first Western medical clinic during the Japanese colonial era, completely shifting the atmosphere.

Ahn Sangho graduated from Tokyo Jikei Medical College in Japan in 1902, becoming the first Korean to obtain a Japanese medical license. Upon returning to Korea in 1904, he worked as a physician at Sunjongjeonui and Iwangjik Choktakui before establishing Korea’s first Western-style clinic.

Ha Young’s Great-Grandfather: “I Am Like a Japanese”

In an article titled “The Home of Dr. Ahn Sangho, Fully Acculturated” published in the Japanese Government-General of Korea’s official daily Maeil Shinbo on December 10, 1918, Ahn Sangho stated, “I am like a Japanese. I wear Japanese clothes and my wife is Japanese. Our household and food are all in the Japanese style.”

He continued, explaining that Korean was not spoken at home, so his children did not know the language, and that the family had almost no interaction with Koreans. The Japanese Governor-General promoted his behavior as a model example of the “assimilation” policy, highlighting distinguished Koreans who perfectly followed Japanese ways to justify colonial rule.

Pro-Japanese Activities and Even the Theory of King Gojong’s Poisoning

The name of Ha Young’s great-grandfather, Ahn Sangho, also appears in unofficial accounts and memoirs surrounding the tragedy of the Korean Imperial Family, specifically the “King Gojong Poisoning Theory.” Lady Lee Bangja, wife of Crown Prince Yeongchin—the last crown prince of the Korean Empire—wrote in her memoir that she “heard an unexpected rumor that the Japanese Governor-General of Korea ordered Dr. Ahn Sangho to carry out the poisoning.”

Similarly, the memoirs of Kondo Shirosuke, a Japanese former court official, entitled “Iwanggungbisa,” record that rumors spread suggesting Min Byung-seok, Yoon Deuk-young, and others conspired with Japanese officials, instructing Ahn Sangho to use poison.

Ahn Sangho's name also appears in the memoirs "Yi Bangja Sugi" and "Yiwanggungbisa," which deal with the poisoning theory of King Gojong. Lady Yi Bangja, the consort of Yeongchinwang, the last crown prince of the Korean Empire, wrote in the memoir, "I heard an unexpected rumor that the Japanese Government-General of Korea ordered Ahn Sangho to be poisoned." KBS "History Special" capture

Ahn Sangho’s name also appears in both “Ibangjasugi” and “Iwanggungbisa,” works dealing with the theory of King Gojong’s poisoning. Lady Lee Bangja, the wife of Prince Yeongchin, wrote in her memoir, “I heard an unexpected rumor that the Japanese Governor-General of Korea ordered Ahn Sangho to be poisoned.”

Moreover, it has also been confirmed that Ahn Sangho joined the pro-Japanese organization “Daejeong Business Social Club (Daejeong Social Club),” established by pro-Japanese collaborator Min Youngki in November 1916, with the participation of Lee Wan-yong, Song Byeong-jun, Jo Jung-woong, and others.

Not Just the Great-Grandfather—Grandfather Worked at Sorokdo Hospital

Additionally, the past of Ha Young’s grandfather, the late Ahn Bu-ho—a chief professor at Catholic University Medical School—has also come under renewed scrutiny. It is known that Professor Ahn worked at Sorokdo National Hospital from 1949 to the early 1950s, a period when grave human rights abuses, including forced sterilizations, abortions, and hard labor of Hansen’s disease patients, took place on Sorokdo Island. While it remains unclear whether Professor Ahn directly participated in these human rights violations, the controversy surrounding the great-grandfather appears to have brought renewed attention to the family as a whole.

As the controversy grew, Ha Young’s side admitted on the 10th that her great-grandfather is indeed Ahn Sangho, but claimed that reports of pro-Japanese activities were “groundless.” However, a day later on the 11th, they bowed their heads, stating, “In the process of further checking, it was confirmed that Ahn Sangho’s name does in fact appear on the list of council members of the Daejeong Social Club in 1916.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.