[Sportschosun Lee Ge-eun] TV columnist Jeong Seok-hee criticized actor Ha Young for lacking a sense of history and also pointed out that her casual boast about her family's wealth was a problem.
On the 15th, a video titled "Being Held Back by Boasts That Forget History, Whether by Ancestors or Descendants" was uploaded to the YouTube channel "Jung Seok-hee TV Review."
Jeong said, "The controversy over pro-Japanese ties was intense. Seeing this incident made me once again realize the absence of a sense of history," referring to the Ha Young controversy. She added, "Some say it is harsh to hold descendants responsible for their ancestors' mistakes. I am not saying we should blame descendants for the wrongs of someone who died 100 years ago. The problem was the boastful self-introduction she brought up on a 2026 broadcast. What was she expecting when she went out of her way to say she came from a 'fourth-generation family of doctors'?"
Jeong said, "There is one part I regret. Until she brought up that boast about being a 'fourth-generation doctor,' she was doing quite well on the show. She knew the right timing to jump in on a variety program and even showed quick thinking by being considerate of the host. In the end, I think the greatest responsibility lies with the parents, who failed to instill a proper sense of history in their child."
She continued, "Her parents also seem to have lived their lives carelessly, thinking, 'I'm so great.' The lesson from this incident is the importance of history education. More than that, it reminds us that we must always be careful with our words. The past cannot be changed, but our attitude toward it today is something we can choose. I hope this controversy does not end with simply attacking one person."
Meanwhile, on the KBS2 variety show "Problem Child in House," Ha Young recently said that her family has been doctors for four generations, including her great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and sister. She added, "My great-grandfather is said to have opened the first Western-style clinic in Hanyang at the time. He also treated Emperor Gojong." The remarks later sparked controversy after her great-grandfather was identified as Ahn Sang-ho (1872-1927), who worked as a doctor during the Japanese colonial period.
As Ha Young's past remarks resurfaced, criticism intensified. Last year, on KBS2's "Fun-Staurant," she boasted about her family's wealth, saying there were five refrigerators at her parents' home and that "no one notices even if you bring food over. It always goes bad because nobody eats it." The past interview of her mother, Lee Mi-sook, the CEO of KoreMed Consulting, also came under renewed scrutiny. In a 2011 interview with Digital Times, Lee said, "I once kept 100 million won in cash in a safe for a long time. Having cash in the safe all the time made me feel oddly full. The next time, I put 200 million won in there, and after that, I could hardly tell the difference."
joyjoy90@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
