"Sincere Apology as a Descendant": Actor Hayoung Writes Handwritten Letter Following Pro-Japanese Ancestry Controversy

Actor Hayoung (An Ha-young, 33), who faced online allegations regarding the pro-Japanese activities of her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho, has bowed her head, stating, "As a descendant, I offer my sincere apologies."

Hayoung published a handwritten letter of apology on her social media today (August 12).


Hayoung apologized, saying, "I deeply accept these faults and sincerely apologize as a descendant," adding, "I feel even more apologetic for causing a controversy due to my shortcomings at a time ahead of Liberation Day."

She also explained, "I only knew about my great-grandfather's life in a fragmented way through stories passed down by my family."

She continued, "Embarrassingly, in that ignorant state, I casually brought up stories about my great-grandfather as if they were a source of family pride on various occasions.

Through this incident, in the process of looking up relevant materials myself, I came to learn about my great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities."

She stated, "I reflect on how I casually mentioned my family history without properly knowing the history of our country, which went through the painful period of the Japanese colonial rule."

Hayoung conveyed, "I believe that the fact that I did not know cannot be a reason to turn away from or take that history lightly."

She further emphasized, "I will look closely at my family history and that era, and adopt a much more cautious attitude when dealing with history in the future."

She added, "I will do my best to study our history in depth and honor with respect all those who worked hard for the independence fighters and the liberation and well-being of our country," and stated, "I will put this into practice not just with words, but with actions."


Hayoung revealed that she comes from a four-generation family of doctors on the KBS 2TV variety show <Rooftop Room Problems> broadcast on August 7.

Following the broadcast, it became known that her great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho (1872–1927), who worked as a doctor during the Japanese colonial period, sparking online suspicions regarding his activities at the time.

Due to this controversy, aftershocks followed, including Hayoung and co-star Jung Hae-in canceling interviews for their new Netflix series <Our Sticky Love>.

Samsung Electronics and apparel brand ARTID, for which Hayoung has served as a model, switched their promotional videos to private.

<Rooftop Room Problems>, on which she mentioned her great-grandfather, suspended its video-on-demand services and set its YouTube clip videos to private.

Hayoung debuted in the 2019 KBS 2TV drama <Doctor Prisoner> and gained attention by appearing in Netflix works such as <The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call>, <Monthly Boyfriend>, and <Teach You a Lesson>.

(Photo: Captured from Hayoung's Instagram and KBS 2TV's <Rooftop Room Problems>)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.