Korean actor Ahn Ha-young has issued an apology after her agency reversed an earlier denial, confirming that her great-grandfather was listed as a council member of a pro-Japanese colonial-era organisation in 1916. The controversy follows comments Ahn made on a television variety show regarding her family’s medical history.
A controversy surrounding actor Ahn Ha-young intensified after her agency retracted a statement denying historical ties between her family and Japan’s colonial administration in Korea. Bistus Entertainment acknowledged that its initial characterisation of online allegations as groundless was premature following further verification of historical records.
Television Appearance Sparks Online Speculation
The sequence of events began when Ahn appeared on the KBS variety show Problem Child in House. During her appearance, the actor discussed her family background and mentioned that her relatives included four generations of doctors. She stated that her great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Tokyo before opening an early Western-style clinic in Seoul and treating Emperor Gojong.
Online commenters quickly identified the physician as Ahn Sang-ho. Internet users circulated historical records pointing to his activities during the Japanese colonial period, specifically highlighting his involvement with pro-Japanese associations. Liberation Day in Korea falls on Saturday, heightening public sensitivity surrounding historical collaborations during the 1910–45 colonial era.
Agency Apologises and Reverses Stance
Bistus Entertainment initially released a statement calling the allegations without basis. Just one day later, the agency reversed its position after checking archives.
“First, we would like to address our previous statement that the allegations were ‘without basis.’ Following further verification, we have confirmed that a record does in fact exist listing Ahn Sang-ho, the actor’s great-grandfather, as a council member of the Daejeong Friendship Association in 1916.”
Bistus Entertainment
The agency added that it sincerely apologised for causing confusion by answering hastily without conducting sufficient background checks. According to her representatives, Ha-young is deeply troubled that her remarks inadvertently sparked public backlash.
Historical Context of the Daejeong Friendship Association
The organisation central to the dispute is the Daejeong Industrial Friendship Association, also referenced as the Taisho Friendship Association or Daejong Chinmokhoe. Formed in Seoul in November 1916 as a business group, the society operated under the reign of the Japanese emperor whose era supplied the name Taisho.
Historical records show the association was led by Min Yeong-gi, a known collaborator. Its membership rolls included several prominent figures tied to Japan’s annexation of Korea, including Yi Wan-yong. Yi signed both the 1905 Eulsa Treaty and the 1910 Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, documents that formally placed the Korean peninsula under Japanese rule.
Cancellations Impact Netflix Promotion
The unfolding family controversy directly impacted promotional schedules for Netflix’s romantic comedy series Our Sticky Love, in which Ahn stars alongside Jung Hae-in. A press interview scheduled for a Friday at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo District was unavoidably cancelled by public relations organisers amidst the backlash.
Publicists evaluated whether to proceed with scheduled press events for co-star Jung Hae-in as public scrutiny over the historical records continued to mount across entertainment and news platforms.
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