South Korean actress Ha Young sorry for controversy over ancestor’s pro-Japanese ties
The actress’ agency confirms her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, was listed as a councillor of a pro-Japanese association in 1916
“After further checking, we have confirmed that records of great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho being listed as a councillor of the Daejong Chinmokhoe in 1916 actually existed,” Anh Ha-young’s agency Bistrus Entertainment said on Tuesday, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.
“We sincerely apologise for the confusion we caused by hastily answering that it was groundless, without sufficient verification.”
The pro-Japanese society, whose name translates to Taisho Friendship Association, was formed in Seoul in 1916. Its members included Yi Wan-yong, one of the signatories of the 1905 Eulsa Treaty and the 1910 Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty that formally placed Korea under Japanese rule, The Korea Herald reported.