LayarHijau – South Korean actress Ha Young, who is currently starring alongside Jung Hae-in in Netflix’s new series Our Sticky Love, has found herself at the center of controversy after speaking publicly about her family’s medical legacy.
The controversy began after Ha Young appeared on KBS2’s Problem Child in House on August 7, where she revealed that her family has had doctors in four successive generations — her great-grandfather, grandfather, father and older sister.
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Ha Young spoke particularly about her great-grandfather, saying he studied Western medicine in Japan before returning to Korea and opening one of the earliest Western medical practices in Hanyang, the old name for Seoul. She also said he had treated Emperor Gojong.
Her story quickly drew attention, with viewers commenting on her family’s privileged background and long history in the medical profession. Ha Young had previously spoken positively about her family’s medical tradition, saying she felt grateful and proud to come from such a family.
The reaction changed after her great-grandfather was identified as physician Ahn Sang-ho. Historical records concerning Ahn’s activities during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea have since resurfaced online, prompting allegations that he had pro-Japanese ties.
A major point of contention is Ahn’s involvement in the Daejeong Shil-eop Chinmokhoe, also known as the Daejeong Friendship Association. Historian Lee Jun-sik, a former president of the Independence Hall of Korea, described the organization as a group established in November 1916 that brought together Korean businessmen and influential figures during the Japanese colonial period.
According to Lee, the organization was formed to bring influential Koreans into Japan’s sphere of cooperation and promote the idea of harmony between Korea and Japan.
The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture also classifies the Daejeong Shil-eop Chinmokhoe as a pro-Japanese organization established in Seoul in 1916.
Historical records indicate that Ahn Sang-ho served as a council member when the organization was established on November 29, 1916. He reportedly joined figures including Yun Chi-ho and Yoo Byeong-pil.
His involvement has become a central point in the debate over his historical record. Lee has argued that Ahn’s absence from the Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators does not necessarily mean that he had no pro-Japanese activities or associations.
Other historical records have also highlighted aspects of Ahn’s personal life. He married a Japanese woman and was known to have maintained close ties with the Japanese community in Korea.
The National Institute of Korean History’s Our History Net has cited a December 10, 1918, article from the Maeil Shinbo that included comments by Ahn about his life in Korea. His wife, Isoko, was also quoted as saying that she could not speak Korean despite having lived in Korea for many years.
Those records have come under renewed scrutiny after Ahn was identified as Ha Young’s great-grandfather.
The controversy is also unfolding just days before Gwangbokjeol, South Korea’s Liberation Day, which is observed on August 15. Some Korean netizens have criticized Ha Young for publicly discussing her family history with pride without addressing the more controversial aspects of her great-grandfather’s past.
The allegations against Ahn, however, do not implicate Ha Young herself in any political activities or actions carried out by her great-grandfather more than a century ago. The debate is instead focused on how Ahn’s historical record should be interpreted based on the available evidence.
Ha Young’s agency, BISTUS Entertainment, has rejected the allegations. On August 10, the agency confirmed that Ahn Sang-ho was indeed Ha Young’s great-grandfather but denied claims that he engaged in pro-Japanese activities.
“The allegations of pro-Japanese activities by Ha Young’s great-grandfather are unfounded,” the agency said.
The agency also said that some of the information circulating online about Ahn does not accurately reflect the facts, cautioning against drawing conclusions solely from material posted online.
Ha Young previously discussed her family background in an interview in January 2025. At the time, she said she did not know many details about her family’s history but described herself as grateful and proud of her family’s longstanding connection to the medical profession.
Ha Young made her acting debut in the 2019 KBS2 drama Doctor Prisoner. She has since appeared in series including Chocolate, Soul Mechanic, The Call, Private Lives, Let Me Be Your Knight, Now, We Are Breaking Up, Secret Royal Inspector & Joy, Mouse, The Fabulous, The Good Detective 2, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Doona!, Face Me, and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.
She is currently starring in Our Sticky Love, a new Netflix romantic comedy that premiered on August 7, 2026. Ha Young plays Go Eun-sae, a prosecutor who loses her memory after an incident and later encounters Jang Tae-ha, played by Jung Hae-in, a boxing coach who claims to be her boyfriend. The series blends romantic comedy with mystery and crime elements.
