Heo Young's Father's Interview Reignites Pro-Japanese Controversy, Brands Pull Ads

South Korean actress Heo Young (허영) recently became embroiled in a pro-Japanese controversy due to her family background. While her agency had already acknowledged historical records related to her great-grandfather, her father's subsequent interview as a "family representative" not only failed to quell the storm but reignited controversy with some of his statements.

On April 7, Heo Young appeared on KBS 2TV's "Problem Child in House" to promote her new drama, "My Sweet Mobster." During the show, she revealed that she comes from a "four-generation family of doctors" and mentioned that her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho (안상호), studied Western medicine in Japan, became a doctor upon returning to Korea, and even treated Emperor Gojong. After the broadcast, netizens researched Ahn Sang-ho's past and discovered his name on lists related to pro-Japanese organizations, sparking the controversy.

In response to public scrutiny, Heo Young's agency first issued a statement, expressing her profound regret for "unintentionally causing controversy" and acknowledging the existence of historical records concerning her great-grandfather. The agency also stated that Heo Young would remember the public's concern caused by this incident and would approach her future endeavors with greater caution and humility.

However, on April 11, Heo Young's father gave an exclusive interview to Korean media outlet Ilgan Sports, speaking as a "family representative" to address public questions and mitigate the fallout for his daughter. Yet, after the interview was published, some of his statements became new points of contention.

Heo Young's father stated that, to his knowledge, his grandfather Ahn Sang-ho had served Prince Uichin, who held strong anti-Japanese sentiments, for a long time. Therefore, the family had never considered that Ahn Sang-ho would be involved in a pro-Japanese controversy.

Regarding Ahn Sang-ho's marriage to a Japanese woman, Heo Young's father admitted to this record and recalled his childhood family life: "When I was young, my grandmother (Ahn Sang-ho's wife, Heo Young's great-grandmother) always wore a hanbok while taking care of her grandchildren."

He also emphasized that he did not intend to whitewash Ahn Sang-ho's past history simply because he was family. "Most importantly, I am very sorry for the concern caused by this history-related controversy," he added.

However, the interview sparked another wave of controversy due to its source citations. Addressing the circulating rumor that "Ahn Sang-ho poisoned Emperor Gojong," Heo Young's father cited the book "Pioneers of Korean Medicine" as his basis for explanation.

Nevertheless, the author of that book, Dr. Jung Gu-chung (정구충), is himself listed in Korea's official "Pro-Japanese Collaborators Dictionary." Consequently, Heo Young's father's use of this book to explain Ahn Sang-ho's history was questioned by some netizens.

Furthermore, Heo Young's father's use of the phrase "after the Korea-Japan annexation" when describing Ahn Sang-ho's organization of the "Hansung Medical Association" and serving as its first president also became another point of contention.

August 29 in Korean history is known as "Gyeongseul National Humiliation Day," marking the forced signing and official promulgation of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, which stipulated the transfer of the Korean Empire's sovereignty to Japan. "Gyeongseul National Humiliation" refers to the nation's humiliation and is often called "the deprivation of national sovereignty."

In contrast, terms like "Korea-Japan unification" or "Korea-Japan merger" were used by the Japanese Empire to legitimize its seizure of Korean national sovereignty. Therefore, Heo Young's father's use of the term "Korea-Japan unification" when discussing this period of history was criticized by some netizens, who felt that such phrasing did not adequately reflect the historical context of Korea's forced annexation by Japan.

Heo Young's father, who had hoped to mitigate the controversy for his daughter, has now personally stepped forward, only to reignite discussion due to his cited sources and historical terminology, causing Heo Young's family's pro-Japanese controversy to continue to escalate.

As the controversy continues to expand, the advertising industry appears to be distancing itself. Recently, clothing brand "Atid" made an advertisement featuring Heo Young, filmed last year, private. Additionally, Samsung Electronics' official channel was found to have removed all videos related to Heo Young's past appearances in "Samsung Art TV" commercials.

With related content being progressively taken down, public attention is now focused on whether this family history controversy will further impact Heo Young's future acting career and brand partnerships.