Actor Ha Young's great-grandfather was a Japanese colonial collaborator, expert says

An expert has confirmed that actor Ha Young's great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, was a collaborator during the Japanese colonial period, even though he is not listed in the comprehensive "Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators." Bang Hak-jin, secretary-general of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Self-Government's Research Institute for National Issues, stated that Ahn Sang-ho's pro-Japanese activities are factually verified.

Bang revealed that Ahn Sang-ho was part of a preparatory committee for a memorial event honoring Itō Hirobumi, the former Resident-General of Korea who was assassinated by Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun in 1909. Ahn Sang-ho also served as a councilor for the Gyeongseong Prefecture Consultative Council, an advisory body to the Japanese Government-General of Korea, and participated in the "Dongminhoe," a pro-Japanese organization that supported the assimilation policy aimed at integrating Koreans into Japanese society.

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Ahn Sang-ho's pro-Japanese activities are factually confirmed.

While Ahn Sang-ho, who practiced medicine during the Japanese occupation, was previously embroiled in controversy for being listed as a member of the pro-Japanese group "Daejeong Chinmokhoe," he was not included in the 2009 dictionary. This dictionary lists 4,389 individuals who actively collaborated with Japan's colonial rule and aggression.

Bang explained that the dictionary's inclusion criteria focus on objective facts and primary sources, emphasizing the intensity and repetition of pro-Japanese actions. He noted that while Ahn Sang-ho's pro-Japanese activities were confirmed, they were deemed less active and repetitive compared to others who met the dictionary's stringent standards. Bang reiterated, however, that Ahn Sang-ho's pro-Japanese history is factual. He also urged self-reflection on how well society understands and engages with its history, referencing the controversy surrounding the Baejae High School baseball team's disrespectful actions related to the May 18th Democratization Movement.

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The pro-Japanese actions during the Japanese colonial era are not the problem, but the reality after liberation without reflection, reconciliation, repentance, and remorse is the bigger problem.