Hayoung's first-ever hanbok SNS post revisited amid great-grandfather's pro-Japanese controversy... Apology statement released

Actress Ha Young is facing renewed scrutiny over past SNS posts following the controversy surrounding her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho’s pro-Japanese actions. In January 2021, Ha Young posted on her SNS a photo of herself wearing hanbok on the set of the KBS2 drama ″Secret Royal Inspector: Joseon Secret Investigation Team,″ along with the caption, ″My first hanbok ever, enjoyable filming.″ In the photo, Ha Young was dressed in a pink skirt and a sky-blue jeogori while filming. After the recent controversy over her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho’s pro-Japanese activities surfaced, Ha Young’s post also gained renewed attention online. Some netizens questioned or mocked the phrase ″my first hanbok ever,″ as Ha Young was 28 years old at the time. Others suggested that the phrase might mean it was her first time wearing hanbok for a drama shoot. The controversy began on the KBS2 show ″Problematic Men in the Rooftop Room,″ aired on the 7th, where Ha Young revealed her family background as a fourth-generation medical family and introduced that her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho studied in Japan, opened a Western-style hospital in Hanyang, and treated Emperor Gojong. Subsequently, records confirming Ahn Sang-ho’s name on the 1916 Daijeong Chinmokhoe council member list surfaced, fueling the pro-Japanese controversy. Additionally, the controversy continued when it was revealed that Ahn Sang-ho’s wife was the daughter of a Japanese military general, as noted in the 1983 publication ″Research on Joseon Dynasty Court Customs.″ Ha Young’s agency initially denied the related allegations but later reversed their position and apologized after confirming the Daijeong Chinmokhoe council member list records. Ha Young also issued a handwritten apology, stating, ″I spoke of my great-grandfather as a family pride out of ignorance,″ and ″As a descendant, I sincerely apologize.″