Ha Young agency confirms ancestor’s colonial-era record

Actor Ha Young's agency confirmed her great-grandfather's record as a member of a pro-Japanese organization during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, a day after calling the claim groundless. 

"After further checking, we have confirmed that records of great-grandfather An Sang-ho being listed as a councillor of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916 actually existed," Ha Young's agency Bistus Entertainment said Tuesday. The actor was born An Ha-young.

Daejeong Chinmokhoe, or Taisho Friendship Association, was a pro-Japanese society formed in Seoul in 1916, with the name Taisho taken from the era of the reigning Japanese emperor. 

A press interview scheduled for Friday for Netflix’s rom-com “Our Sticky Love,” starring Ha Young and Jung Hae-in, was canceled following public backlash over Ha’s family history and her agency's initial denial. Organizers shortly after also canceled Jung’s interview, which had been scheduled for the same day. The public relations company handling the schedules said only that the interviews had been “unavoidably canceled.”

"We sincerely apologize for the confusion we caused by hastily answering that it was groundless, without sufficient verification," Ha Young's agency said.

The controversy began after Ha Young appeared on the KBS show "Problem Child in House" (2018–) on Friday and described the four generations of doctors in her family.

Her great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan, opened one of the first Western clinics in Seoul and treated Emperor Gojong (1852-1919), the actor said herself on the program. 

Viewers identified him as An Sang-ho and shared records of his actions under Japanese colonial rule as a collaborator. The agency denied the allegations on Monday. 

"Ha Young has taken the concern she caused deeply to heart, and she will be more careful and humble going forward," the agency said.

Korea's Liberation Day falls on Saturday.

BY CHO YONG-JUN, KIM JU-YEON [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]