{
  "id": 851876,
  "title": "Meet the stars with independence fighters in their family trees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/meet-the-stars-with-independence-fighters-in-their-family-trees-851876",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T08:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260814/meet-the-stars-with-independence-fighters-in-their-family-trees"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As Korea prepares to commemorate the 81st anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule on Saturday, the issue of pro-Japanese activities within families has sparked controversy. Among those affected are several K-pop and entertainment stars who are descendants of Korean independence fighters.\n\nChungha, the singer, is one such individual. Her maternal grandfather, Kim Yong-geun, was a prominent independence and pro-democracy activist during Japan's colonial era. For his efforts, Kim was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990 and recognized as a distinguished service provider during the May 18 Democratization Movement in 2002. Prior to Japan's rule, Kim defied the Japanese-imposed worship at Shinto shrines and even founded an assassination squad aimed at the Japanese governor-general. His actions did not go unnoticed, as he was imprisoned during the May 18 Gwangju Uprising for sheltering students fleeing martial law troops.",
  "summary": "Ahead of the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule on Saturday, pro-Japanese activities by actor Ha Young's great-grandfather have stirred controversy. As National Liberation Day approaches, here are some K-pop and entertainment stars who are descendants of Korean independence fighters. Chungha Singer Chungha's maternal grandfather, Kim Yong-geun, was an…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Meet the stars with independence fighters in their family trees",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/meet-the-stars-with-independence-fighters-in-their-family-trees",
        "published": "2026-08-14T08:22:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}