Ha-young's pro-Japanese great-grandfather controversy pulls KBS episode off Wavve, YouTube

Wavve pulled the replay of 옥탑방의 문제아들 episode 323 on August 11 at the broadcaster's request. YouTube and Naver TV clip videos went private the same day.

The episode aired August 7 with actress Ha-young and actor Jung Hae-in as guests. Ha-young talked about her family as a four-generation medical household, saying her great-grandfather "studied Western medicine in Japan, was one of the first to open a Western medicine clinic in Hanyang, and treated Emperor Gojong."

Once her great-grandfather was identified as An Sang-ho (안상호), a doctor from the Japanese colonial period, the claim drew scrutiny. Records placed An's name on the 1916 council member list of Daejung Chinmok-hoe (대정친목회), a pro-Japanese organization founded in Seoul that year to push the colonial government's Ilseon Yungwha policy—the forced cultural fusion of Japan and Joseon. The Korean Encyclopedia of National Culture classifies the group as pro-Japanese. An was also interviewed by Maeil Sinbo, a Japanese colonial government publication.

Bisters Entertainment, Ha-young's agency, initially pushed back on August 10. They confirmed An Sang-ho as her great-grandfather but called the pro-Japanese allegations "groundless." One day later they reversed. "We confirmed that the record of An Sang-ho's name appearing on the 1916 Daejung Chinmok-hoe council member list actually exists," the agency said on August 11. "We sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by hastily answering 'groundless' without sufficient verification."

Ha-young "deeply reflects on the concern caused" and will take a "more careful and humble approach going forward," the agency added. She is in "a very heavy-hearted situation" over the unintended controversy.

Advertising videos featuring Ha-young on Samsung Electronics and clothing brand Artide YouTube channels were also made private.

Ha-young debuted in 2019 with KBS 2TV drama 닥터 프리즈너 (Doctor Prisoner). She has since appeared in Netflix titles including 중증외상센터 (Trauma Center), 월간남친 (Monthly Boyfriend), and 참교육 (True Education). Her Netflix series 이런 엿같은 사랑 (Such Bitter Love), co-starring Jung Hae-in, dropped August 7—the same day the now-pulled episode aired. She is scheduled to appear in SBS drama 승산 있습니다 (We Have a Chance) next year.