Cinema VinesSouth Korean actress Ha Young, who has recently gained attention for her starring role in the Netflix romantic comedy Our Sticky Love, has found her rising career derailed by a controversy surrounding her great‑grandfather’s alleged ties to a pro‑Japanese organization during Korea’s colonial era. The backlash erupted after the actress appeared on the variety show Problem Child in House on August 7, where she discussed her family history and mentioned that her great‑grandfather had studied Western medicine in Japan and opened the first Western‑style clinic in Hanyang, even treating Emperor Gojong. She did not name him on air, but viewers soon discovered that the man was Dr. Ahn Sang‑Ho, a Korean who earned Japan’s first medical license and whose personal history became the focus of the controversy.
Historical records revealed that Dr. Ahn married a Japanese woman and adopted Japanese customs, describing himself in a 1918 Maeil Sinbo interview as “like a Japanese” and refusing to wear Korean clothing. More damaging was the discovery that he was listed as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916, an association formed to promote Japan‑Korea assimilation under the colonial administration. A 2007 research paper described the group as an “assimilation organization aimed at endorsing the Governor‑General’s politics and harmonizing the Japanese and Korean ethnicities.” The timing of the revelations—just days before August 15, South Korea’s National Liberation Day—made the issue especially sensitive.
Initially, Ha Young’s agency, Bistus Entertainment, denied the allegations on August 10, labeling them groundless. However, the next day the agency reversed its position after a thorough review of its records. In a statement translated by Soompi, the company admitted that a record exists confirming Dr. Ahn’s membership in the Daejeong Chinmokhoe and apologized for the confusion caused by the earlier denial.
As a result of the controversy, Ha Young has cancelled all promotional events for Our Sticky Love, her lead role in the K‑drama, and has faced widespread criticism from fans and the public. The incident underscores the enduring sensitivity in South Korea to historical ties with Japan and the scrutiny that public figures face when family histories intersect with contentious periods of the nation’s past.
