[Sportschosun Kim Joon-seok Reporter] Actor Lee Je-hoon has once again found himself facing controversy involving a fellow actor who was set to lead a project with him.
After the completed drama "The Second Signal" was thrown into uncertainty over its release schedule because of Cho Jin-woong's past controversy, attention has now shifted to the family background of Ha Young, his co-star in an upcoming series.
Lee Je-hoon will appear in SBS's new drama "The Long Shot Trial," which is scheduled to air next year. His co-star in the series is Ha Young, who recently drew attention for her role in the Netflix series "Our Sticky Love."
However, as controversy has recently emerged over Ha Young's family background, eyes are naturally turning to her next project as well.
Ha Young has previously said in broadcasts and interviews that her family has been a "four-generation family of doctors."
On the KBS 2TV program "Problem Child in House," which aired on the 7th, she also said that her great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan, opened a hospital in Hanyang, and treated Emperor Gojong.
After the broadcast, it became known that Ha Young's great-grandfather was a doctor named Ahn Sang-ho, and past records related to his activities during the Japanese colonial period were brought back into the spotlight, raising allegations of pro-Japanese conduct.
Ha Young's agency, Bisters Entertainment, initially said the allegations were "groundless," but revised its position on the 11th after further confirmation.
The agency said, "After further confirmation regarding what we previously described as 'groundless,' we have verified that records do in fact exist showing that great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho's name was listed among the council members of the Daejeong Friendship Association in 1916."
It added, "We sincerely apologize for causing confusion by hastily responding that the claims were 'groundless' without sufficient verification," and said, "The actor herself is feeling deeply burdened by the unintended controversy that resulted."
As Ha Young's family background continues to dominate headlines, attention is also being drawn to Lee Je-hoon, who will be working with her in his next project.
What makes the situation even more notable is that this is not the first time Lee Je-hoon has faced such a case.
Earlier, Lee Je-hoon reunited with Cho Jin-woong through tvN's "The Second Signal."
"The Second Signal" is a sequel to "Signal," which aired in 2016 and was widely loved. With Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong, and other major cast members reuniting, it was quickly seen as one of the most anticipated projects.
Filming had also been completed in full last August.
But the situation changed abruptly after Cho Jin-woong admitted that he had received juvenile protective measures for a crime committed in his teens and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.
"The Second Signal," which had originally been aiming for a summer 2026 release, has yet to finalize its programming or distribution plan.
For Lee Je-hoon, the situation is all the more disappointing.
In an interview in April last year, he said he was juggling filming for "The Second Signal" and SBS's "Taxi Driver 3," adding that his packed schedule had forced him to give up even his personal time.
After painstakingly finishing filming for "The Second Signal," only to face an unexpected variable in the form of Cho Jin-woong's controversy, he is now seeing his co-star in "The Long Shot Trial," Ha Young, become the center of a family background scandal as well.
So far, however, there has been no report that Ha Young's controversy has led to any change in the production or scheduling of "The Long Shot Trial." At this stage, it is also difficult to determine what impact the controversy surrounding Ha Young may have on the project.
Even so, with both Cho Jin-woong and Ha Young, the fellow actors leading his projects, becoming embroiled in controversy one after another, Lee Je-hoon has once again found himself in an awkward situation through no fault of his own.
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
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