Actor Ha Young issued a public apology following online scrutiny over her great-grandfather’s historical ties to a pro-Japanese organization during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. The ancestry controversy triggered a surge in online traffic, briefly overloading a popular genealogical search website in Seoul.
Ancestry Revelations and Television Remarks
The public controversy began when Ha Young appeared on a KBS talk show, discussing her family background and mentioning that medical practice spans across four generations in her family. During the broadcast, the actor stated that her great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan and became the first doctor to open a Western medical clinic in Korea, treating Emperor Gojong.
Although she did not mention his name during the program, online users quickly investigated the historical records and identified him as Ahn Sang-ho. Soon after, investigators and internet users raised allegations that the ancestor held ties to pro-Japanese collaborators during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. The revelation arrived just days before the country marked Liberation Day on Aug. 15, an annual commemoration of freedom from Japanese colonial rule.
Agency Denial Followed by Public Apology
When initial online criticisms surfaced, the actor’s agency, Bistus Entertainment, dismissed the claims as groundless
. However, as public scrutiny intensified and internet users pulled historical documents, the stance shifted.
“Through this incident, we have come to realize the importance of prudent verification in conveying historic fact and an individual’s personal history to the public, Ha Young will take to heart the concern she has caused, and will take on a more prudent and humble attitude.”
Bistus Entertainment, via Yonhap News Agency
The agency confirmed the existence of historical records bearing his name as a senior member of an organization suspected by historians of engaging in pro-Japanese activities in 1916. The actor expressed deep regret over unintentionally sparking controversy by speaking proudly of a family history she admitted she was previously unaware of.
Genealogical Website Traffic Surges in Seoul
Public interest in the controversy extended far beyond social media comments. A popular South Korean website dedicated to tracing family origins, genealogies, and historical figures experienced a surge in visitor traffic as citizens rushed to check ancestral lineages. The platform provides origin details and population sizes for 287 types of family lineages across South Korea.
The sudden influx of users examining historical records caused technical failures. The server was overloaded for several hours on Wednesday evening and continued to crash for several minutes at a time on Thursday as digital searches for family roots and historical collaborations spiked nationwide.
Television and Streaming Career Context
The controversy surrounds a television performer whose career spans several drama projects. Ha Young made her acting debut in the television series Doctor Prisoner
in 2019. In the years following, she secured roles across multiple streaming projects and television broadcasts.
Her credits include appearances in the Netflix series The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
in 2025, alongside subsequent releases such as Boyfriend on Demand
and Teach You a Lesson
in 2026. Most recently, she appeared in the romantic comedy series Our Sticky Love,
which was released just prior to the ancestry dispute.
