Actress Ha Young's 'Four-Generation Doctor Family' Slammed as 'Devil's Kin' Amid Historical Controversies

Korean actress Ha Young (하영) is embroiled in controversy regarding her family background. She previously revealed her family had "four consecutive generations of doctors." However, netizens have since unearthed her family's history, with her great-grandfather accused of pro-Japanese activities and her grandfather's past now coming to light, sparking a new wave of discussion and criticism.

As the controversy continues, a past social media post by Ha Young has been resurfaced by netizens, unexpectedly becoming a focal point of public attention.

On Jan. 9, 2021, Ha Young shared photos from the set of the historical drama 'Royal Secret Agent' on her personal social media account, writing: "My first time wearing hanbok in my life. It was a joyful shoot." In the photos, she is seen with traditional braided hair, wearing a pink skirt and a light blue top, showcasing her historical costume.

However, some netizens expressed confusion upon reading her caption, "My first time wearing hanbok in my life," commenting: "How can a Korean person have never worn hanbok?" "Shouldn't she have worn it for her first birthday, kindergarten, or elementary school?" "She must have worn it at least a little when she was young, right?"

Given that Ha Young was 28 years old at the time, the statement "first time wearing hanbok at 28" has once again garnered attention.

Meanwhile, the past experiences of Ha Young's grandfather, Ahn Bu-ho (안부호), have also been unearthed by netizens. Reportedly, he previously served as a professor and department head at the Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine. Between 1949 and 1954, he conducted research related to Hansen's disease at Sorokdo Hospital.

Notably, Sorokdo National Hospital has previously been exposed for severe human rights abuses. At the time, Hansen's disease patients suffered inhumane treatment, including forced sterilization, forced abortions, and forced labor.

A relevant report published by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in 2005 indicated that between 1949 and 1958, the hospital performed 1,191 vasectomies on patients. At the time, regulations even mandated that couples could only live together after the male underwent a vasectomy.

Furthermore, the report also suggested that patients at the time may have been subjected to controversial medical experiments. For instance, some patients had needles inserted into their chests to extract bone marrow samples, a process described as extremely painful. Some patients were even reported to have rapidly deteriorated in health and eventually died after undergoing these experiments.

Even more shockingly, the bodies of some patients were used for dissection practice without the consent of their families. These dissections continued until the 1960s, while forced abortions and forced sterilizations persisted until the 1980s.

It is worth noting that effective treatments for Hansen's disease were available as early as the 1940s, yet the human rights abuses at Sorokdo Hospital continued for decades, becoming a controversial dark chapter in Korean history.

Now, with the past experiences of Ha Young's grandfather brought to light, her family background has once again become a hot topic online in Korea, placing Ha Young under greater public pressure. Some netizens have even made strong remarks, with some harshly criticizing the family as "a devil's family."

However, current online discussions primarily focus on the past experiences of Ha Young's family members and the historical events themselves. It cannot be directly inferred that her grandfather was personally involved in or supported the human rights abuses simply because he worked at Sorokdo Hospital.