Ha Young says 'sincerely sorry' over great-grandfather's pro-Japanese past
Actor Ha Young apologized Wednesday over allegations surrounding her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea, saying she was "sincerely sorry" as his descendant. The actor issued the apology in a handwritten letter posted on her social media account, a day after her agency acknowledged that her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho (1872-1927) was a…
Actress Ha Young expressed sincere regret on Wednesday in response to allegations concerning her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. The apology, posted on her social media account the day after her agency confirmed her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho (1872-1927) belonged to an organization allegedly engaged in pro-Japanese actions, came as the star reflected on her family history.
"I had only partially known about my great-grandfather's life through stories told by my family," she explained. Ha Young acknowledged feeling ashamed for having spoken on multiple occasions about Ahn Sang-ho as a symbol of family pride despite her lack of awareness about his past. "I believe the fact that I had not known about it cannot be an excuse for disregarding or lightly considering that history.
I take that mistake heavily and as a descendant, I am sincerely sorry," she added. On a recent episode of the KBS talk show "Problem Child in House," Ha Young disclosed how her great-grandfather pursued Western medical studies in Japan, which she connected to her broader reflection on the historical significance of the episode.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
