Ha Young Issues Handwritten Apology Over Pro-Japanese Allegations: "Boasted in Ignorance... I Apologize as a Descendant"

Allegations of An Sang-ho's Pro-Japanese Collaboration Widen
"I Became Aware of His Pro-Japanese Actions Through This Incident"

Actress Ha Young (An Ha-young, 33) has issued a handwritten apology letter following controversy over allegations of pro-Japanese collaboration involving her great-grandfather, An Sang-ho.

A handwritten letter written by actress Ha Young. Screenshot from Ha Young's Instagram.

On August 12, Ha Young released a handwritten apology through her Instagram, writing, "I solemnly accept my fault and sincerely apologize as a descendant."

She stated, "I am even more deeply sorry for causing a stir due to my shortcomings at a time just before Liberation Day," adding, "I only had a fragmented understanding of my great-grandfather's life from stories passed down through my family." She continued, "Embarrassingly, in my ignorance, I have mentioned my great-grandfather in various settings as a source of family pride," she explained. "Through this incident and while looking up information myself, I became aware of my great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions."

She went on to say, "I reflect on speaking lightly of my family's history without properly understanding our country's painful experience during the Japanese colonial period," and added, "I believe that the fact that I was unaware cannot be an excuse for ignoring or taking that history lightly."

Ha Young emphasized, "I will take a closer look at my family's history and that era and strive to adopt a more careful attitude toward history in the future. I will also make every effort to study our history in depth and to serve with utmost respect all independence patriots and everyone who worked for the liberation and well-being of our country."

Actor Ha Young. Photo by Yonhap News.

On August 7, during an appearance on the KBS 2TV variety show "Problem Child in House," Ha Young revealed that she comes from a family of doctors spanning four generations and stated that her great-grandfather had served as Emperor Gojong's personal physician. Afterwards, it became known that her great-grandfather was An Sang-ho (1872–1927), and allegations of pro-Japanese collaboration during the Japanese colonial era began to spread online.

According to the integrated biographical database of The Academy of Korean Studies, An Sang-ho graduated from Tokyo Jikei Medical Specialty School in 1902 and became the first Korean to obtain a Japanese medical license. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Medical Association Journal also record that An Sang-ho cared for the health of Sunjong and Gojong as an external physician (choktak-ui) and external royal physician (jeon-ui choktak).

An Sang-ho was also named as one of 21 council members of the Daejeong Friendship Association, an organization founded in 1916 by businesspeople, government officials, journalists, and other influential figures in Gyeongseong (present-day Seoul). The Daejeong Friendship Association, for which Yi Wan-yong served as advisor, was described by the Gyeongmu Bureau of the Japanese Government-General of Korea in 1927 as "an organization that recognizes the governor-general’s administration and aims for harmony between Korean and Japanese peoples," according to a 2007 paper by Senior Research Fellow Jang Shin at the Institute for Historical Studies, titled "The Daejeong Friendship Association and the Movement for Harmony between Korea and Japan."

As allegations of her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese collaboration spread, Ha Young and her co-star Jung Hae-in canceled promotional interviews for their new Netflix series "This Damn Love." Additionally, companies such as Samsung Electronics and the clothing brand Artide, for which Ha Young had modeled, made associated commercial videos private, and the episode of "Problem Child in House" in which she discussed her great-grandfather was also made private.

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