[Sportschosun, Reporter Jung Yu-na] Actress Ha Young has come under fire over the pro-Japanese activities of her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho during the Japanese colonial period, yet Netflix Japan's official channel has drawn attention by releasing a special video focusing on Ha Young herself.
On the 28th of last month, Netflix Japan uploaded a roughly four-minute video to its official YouTube channel titled "Strong and Flexible Characters Who Live as Themselves, Played by Ha Young."
The video description read, "Actress Ha Young stands out for her confident presence. She captivates viewers with the strength and flexibility of living her life in her own way."
Rather than promoting a specific title, the video was put together as an actress feature that gathered and introduced the characters Ha Young has played in Netflix productions. Scenes from works including "Our Sticky Love," "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," "Boyfriend on Demand," and "Teach You a Lesson" appear one after another. In particular, the video centers on scenes that highlight the confidence and initiative of the characters Ha Young portrayed.
Ha Young also appears prominently in the thumbnail. Four photos of her with different expressions and looks are arranged on a single screen, emphasizing the actress herself.
What drew the attention of Korean internet users was the timing of the release. Ha Young recently appeared on KBS 2TV's "Problem Child in House," where she mentioned her family background as part of a four-generation line of doctors and introduced her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho. After his activities during the Japanese colonial period became known, controversy over pro-Japanese ties erupted.
As the controversy continued, Netflix Japan's official channel released content placing Ha Young at the center, prompting a range of reactions online in Korea over the timing.
Comments on the video included reactions such as, "Come to think of it, she could just do her acting career in Japan, right? That's her real hometown," "Ha Young! You must be happy to be loved in your home country," "Are the comments trying to pick a fight with Korea?" and "The timing is uncanny."
Meanwhile, Ha Young has ultimately stepped down from the new season of the Netflix original series "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" in the wake of the controversy over her great-grandfather's pro-Japanese past. On the 1st, Netflix said, "Ha Young has decided not to appear in the sequel to 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,'" adding, "We respect the actor's decision."
jyn2011@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
