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Ha Young’s Ancestry Controversy Puts SBS Drama and Advertisers on the Spot

The network faces strong public backlash while deciding how to respond to allegations about the actress’s great-grandfather with most filming already complete.

Overview

  • Reporting in mid-August revived historical records linking Ha Young’s great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, to pro-Japanese organizations during Korea’s colonial period and prompted renewed scrutiny of past family claims.
  • Ha Young and her agency first denied the allegations then issued apologies after reviewing the records, and the actress posted a handwritten public apology acknowledging her limited prior knowledge.
  • Commercial partners and broadcasters have pulled or made private ads and variety clips that feature Ha Young, and promotional events and interviews for her projects have been canceled or suspended.
  • Ha Young reportedly broke down on set on August 13, causing a temporary pause in filming, though she later resumed work and production sources say roughly 90 percent of the drama is finished.
  • SBS says it is closely monitoring the situation and must weigh reputational damage against large sunk production costs and a February air date that falls close to the March 1 Independence Movement commemorations.