Hayoung, great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho's pro-Japanese controversy... "Deeply apologize for ignorance of family history"

Actress Hayoung has been embroiled in controversy related to her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho’s pro-Japanese activities. Online communities have claimed that Hayoung has boasted about her family more than 80 times on broadcasts and media. Hayoung appeared on the KBS 2TV variety show ″Problematic Men in the Rooftop Room,″ revealing that her family has been a lineage of doctors for four generations, including her great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and older sister. She said, ″My great-grandfather was the first to open a Western medical clinic in Hanyang and even treated Emperor Gojong.″ It was also confirmed that she repeatedly mentioned her great-grandfather and family at various official events, including the promotional video for the YouTube channel ″Netflix Korea″ for ″Such a Damn Love″ and the public interview for the Netflix series ″Trauma Center.″ After it became known that Hayoung’s great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho (1872–1927), a doctor active during the Japanese colonial period, pro-Japanese controversy arose. Online, netizens responded with comments such as, ″It feels like she mentions it at least once in every content she appears in,″ and ″Does she have nothing else to talk about besides her family story?″ As the controversy spread, Hayoung issued a handwritten letter on the 12th, stating, ″I only knew about my great-grandfather’s life in fragments through stories passed down by my family,″ and ″I shamefully spoke about my great-grandfather like a boast in various places out of ignorance.″ She continued, ″I will properly examine my family’s history and the era at that time and adopt a more cautious attitude when dealing with history in the future,″ offering an apology.