Ha Young's Great-Grandfather's Pro-Japanese Controversy: Facts About His Actions vs. Risks of Definitive Labels

Reason for Exclusion from the Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Figures

"Insufficient Activity and Repetition...Pro-Japanese Actions Confirmed"

Experts are divided over the "pro-Japanese controversy" surrounding the great-grandfather of actress Ha Young (real name: An Ha-young, age 33), An Sang-ho (1872–1927). The Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities, which published the "Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Figures," stated, "Although he did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the dictionary, the fact of his pro-Japanese activities is true." In contrast, historian Sim Yong-hwan, director of the Sim Yong-hwan History N Education Research Institute, assessed, "It is difficult to definitively label him as pro-Japanese based only on currently available materials."

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On the 13th, Bang Hak-jin, Secretary General of the institute, said on YTN Radio's "Jang Sung-chul's News Myeongdang" that An Sang-ho was not included in the Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Figures because "we only listed individuals based on objective facts and primary sources, and in the case of An Sang-ho, I believe he did not meet our standards."

Bang described An Sang-ho’s pro-Japanese actions as "a fact." He explained, "In 1909, after Ahn Jung-geun assassinated Ito Hirobumi, the Japanese authorities held a memorial event for Ito in Gyeongseong (now Seoul), and An Sang-ho’s name appeared as a member of the memorial preparation committee." He added that An Sang-ho also participated in the Gyeongseong City Council, which served as an advisory body during the Japanese colonial period, as well as in the Dongmin Association, which promoted harmony between Japan and Korea.

He further stated, "Compared to other pro-Japanese and anti-nationalistic figures of the time, his actions lacked both the intensity and repetition, so he did not meet the inclusion criteria and was not listed." Regarding Ha Young's public apology over her great-grandfather’s pro-Japanese suspicions, he remarked, "This is not excessive."

However, he emphasized, "Focusing solely on the individual is not helpful, and we need to look at the specific context of how things ended up this way."

In contrast, historian Sim Yong-hwan, director of the Sim Yong-hwan History N Education Research Institute, adopted a cautious tone on social media the same day, stating, "It is not easy to make sweeping assertions about historical figures." He had previously argued that it is risky to define An Sang-ho as pro-Japanese solely because he participated in a specific pro-Japanese organization.

In a post on his social media (SNS) that day, Sim explained, "The Daejeong Chinmokhoe was certainly a pro-Japanese group, and historians are very familiar with it." However, he noted that if one examines the actions of An Sang-ho as described in academic papers on the group, "there are ambiguous aspects that make it difficult to clearly define him as 'pro-Japanese.'"

He said, "Relevant studies show that An Sang-ho was listed as one of 21 councilors in November 1916, but his name disappears from subsequent membership rosters. He is merely noted as a former royal physician of King Gojong running a medical clinic called An Sang-ho Clinic—that's all."

He continued, "After reviewing from various perspectives, it appears he adapted to colonial rule and was active in the dissemination of modern medicine, but in other areas, he seems to have enjoyed prosperity through moderate collaboration with the Japanese regime." Nevertheless, he emphasized, "When it comes to the Daejeong Chinmokhoe, the available research only provides fragmentary records from the end of his life, which require more thorough investigation beyond his early membership in the group."

He concluded, "If I make a definitive judgment based on this, it might help me gain popularity by going along with the public sentiment, but from an academic perspective, such an action would never be correct."

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