en.malanginspirasi.com – Actress Ha Young has found herself at the center of an unexpected controversy after her agency confirmed the identity of her great-grandfather, following her recent disclosure that she hails from a medical family spanning four generations.
On August 10, Ha Young’s agency confirmed that her great-grandfather was indeed Ahn Sang Ho, a doctor who studied Western medicine in Japan and reportedly treated Emperor Gojong.
The discussion began following Ha Young’s appearance on KBS2’s Problem Child in House on August 7.
While discussing her impressive family background, the actress revealed that her father and elder sister are doctors, while her mother previously worked as a nurse. She also spoke proudly of her great-grandfather’s medical career.
“As far as I remember, my great-grandfather was one of the first people to open a specialized Western medicine clinic in Hanyang. After studying medicine in Japan, he opened one of the first Western medical clinics in Hanyang and treated Emperor Gojong,” she shared.
Although Ha Young did not mention his name during the broadcast, netizens later speculated that the relative in question was Ahn Sang Ho. Her agency has now confirmed their relation.
Ahn reportedly entered medical school in Tokyo in 1898, passed the examination allowing him to practice medicine in 1902, and later returned to Korea, where he managed a hospital and participated in treating members of the royal family.
He was reportedly among the doctors who attended to Gojong when the emperor collapsed in 1919.
However, the renewed attention on Ahn also prompted netizens to dig into records concerning his life during the Japanese colonial period, sparking accusations of potential pro-Japanese activities.
Among the materials circulating is a 1918 article from the Japanese colonial government newspaper, Maeil Sinbo, which discussed Ahn’s marriage to a Japanese woman and aspects of his household, including reports that he had adopted Japanese clothing and dining habits.
Other reports mention that he was listed as a member of a pro-Japanese community organization.
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These records have sparked an online debate over whether the history of Ha Young’s famed elite family carries a more controversial side.
Her agency acknowledged the ongoing dispute but cautioned that some of the information currently circulating online regarding Ahn is inaccurate. The agency did not specify which claims they were disputing.
Historical records concerning an individual’s statements or lifestyle choices alone do not necessarily prove engagement in pro-Japanese collaboration, meaning Ahn’s activities need to be evaluated based on broader historical records rather than viral claims alone.
This controversy emerged shortly after Ha Young’s prestigious medical family background gained widespread attention, turning what was initially a celebratory revelation about the actress’s ancestry into a heated debate over her great-grandfather’s history.
