[Sportschosun reporter Lee Woo-joo] As it was revealed that actress Ha Young's great-grandfather had served as a member of a pro-Japanese organization, her father's old letter is also drawing renewed attention.
On online communities, a letter Ha Young's father published through the media in 2002 has been circulating. Written in the form of a letter to his daughter, the piece said that his eldest daughter had overcome a finger disability and grown up healthy. In it, An Byeong-mun wrote, "When you think about it, the reason I can speak to you so openly about this now is because time has thankfully been on our side."
An Byeong-mun went on to say, "Since we're at it, let me talk about the years behind us. As you may vaguely know, our family is one of the few distinguished medical families." He then described the careers of his great-grandfather and grandfather. In particular, he said of his great-grandfather, An Sang-ho, "He served as an instructor at the Government Medical School, the predecessor of Seoul National University College of Medicine, and later became the first president of the Hansung Medical Association, now the Korean Medical Association." He added, "Thanks to that, I was able to follow the family business by attending prestigious high school and university. After graduating from college in 1976, I trained at the hospital where my grandfather had worked, and by the age of 31, I had become head of the training department."
As An Sang-ho's pro-Japanese activities became known and sparked controversy, the father's old letter has drawn backlash from netizens. In particular, the phrase "time is on our side" was seen as expressing gratitude that attitudes toward people with disabilities had improved over time. But as the family's past has come under fresh scrutiny amid the recent allegations, the letter's references to that history have prompted mixed interpretations.
Meanwhile, on the 10th, after it became known that Ha Young's great-grandfather was An Sang-ho, who was suspected of pro-Japanese activities, her entertainment agency denied the allegations, saying they were "completely untrue." However, the controversy grew further as suspicions emerged that An Sang-ho had been active as a member of the Daejeong Friendship Association, an organization of business figures during the Japanese colonial period that included Yi Wanyong and Song Pyŏngjun, and as a newspaper interview from an institution under the Government-General of Chōsen revealed that he had maintained a lifestyle and child-rearing style no different from those of Japanese people.
On the 11th, the agency bowed its head and said, "We have confirmed that records actually exist showing that Mr. An Sang-ho's name was listed among the council members of the Daejeong Friendship Association in 1916. We sincerely apologize for causing confusion by hastily responding that the allegations were 'completely untrue' without sufficient verification."
wjlee@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
