Ha Young’s rise was moving quickly. After gaining wider attention through The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and taking the lead opposite Jung Hae-in in Netflix’s Our Sticky Love, the actress appeared to be entering a much bigger phase of her career. Instead, a controversy surrounding her great-grandfather’s history has suddenly pushed her personal family background into the center of public attention.
The issue surfaced after Ha Young discussed her family’s four-generation medical legacy during an August 7 appearance on Problem Child in House. She spoke about her great-grandfather studying Western medicine in Japan, opening a Western-style clinic in Hanyang and, according to what she had heard, treating Emperor Gojong. The comments prompted viewers to identify the doctor as Ahn Sang Ho, whose name later became the subject of scrutiny because historical records list him as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916.
The timing has made the controversy particularly sensitive. South Korea will mark National Liberation Day on August 15, a date closely associated with the end of Japanese colonial rule, and Ha Young was scheduled to participate in promotional activities for Our Sticky Love shortly before the holiday. Her agency, BISTUS Entertainment, first dismissed the allegations before changing its position after conducting another verification of historical records.
Why Ha Young’s Family History Became Controversial
The controversy is not about something Ha Young herself is accused of doing. It centers on the historical record of her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang Ho, and how his activities during the Japanese colonial period are being interpreted today.
According to the material surrounding the controversy, Ahn Sang Ho studied Western medicine in Japan and became associated with the medical profession during the late Joseon period. Historical records cited in the controversy also indicate that he was listed as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916. The organization has been described in historical research as an association supporting Japan-Korea assimilation policies during colonial rule.
That particular connection has become the most important part of the current backlash. The supplied reports also point to historical material describing Ahn Sang Ho’s adoption of Japanese customs and an interview published in Maeil Sinbo in 1918 in which he allegedly described himself as being like a Japanese person. Those historical claims are now being circulated alongside Ha Young’s television comments, creating a much more complicated public discussion than the family medical story initially suggested.
The controversy also highlights why historical family backgrounds can be unusually sensitive in South Korea. References to people who cooperated with Japanese colonial authorities can trigger strong reactions, particularly when such history appears in a conversation about family achievements. That sensitivity is even greater in the days leading up to August 15, when South Korea commemorates liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
Agency Reverses Its Earlier Denial
The biggest immediate development came from BISTUS Entertainment itself. On August 10, the agency initially said the allegations surrounding Ha Young’s great-grandfather were groundless, but on August 11 it issued a new statement acknowledging that a historical record does exist listing Ahn Sang Ho as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916. The agency apologized for responding before sufficiently checking the relevant records.
The reversal has become an important part of the controversy because it changed the conversation from whether the record existed to how the agency and Ha Young would respond to it. In its latest statement, the agency said it had confirmed the record after further verification and acknowledged that its earlier response had caused confusion. It also said Ha Young was feeling heavy-hearted about the controversy and would approach her future activities with greater caution and humility.
The agency’s statement does not establish every allegation circulating online about Ahn Sang Ho, nor does it say that Ha Young personally participated in or supported anything connected to her great-grandfather’s activities. What it does confirm is narrower and important: there is a 1916 record listing him as a council member of the organization at the center of the dispute.
That distinction matters because much of the discussion online has moved beyond the documented point into broader claims about the family. Some social-media discussions have made additional allegations about other relatives and historical conduct, but those claims should not automatically be treated as established facts without independent documentation. For Ha Young, the immediate confirmed issue remains the historical record acknowledged by her agency and the way her family history was presented on television.
Our Sticky Love Promotion Takes a Hit
The controversy arrived at an especially awkward moment for Ha Young because Our Sticky Love has only just begun its Netflix run. The series premiered on August 7 and stars Ha Young as Go Eun-sae, an amnesiac prosecutor who becomes entangled with Jang Tae-ha, played by Jung Hae-in, after he claims to be her boyfriend. Netflix itself promoted the series as a romantic comedy built around their unusual relationship and contrasting personalities.
That makes the timing particularly difficult for the actress. A new lead role normally comes with interviews, promotional appearances and opportunities for the cast to build momentum around the series, but reports in the supplied material indicate that Ha Young’s scheduled promotional activities have been affected by the controversy. A round-table event planned for August 14 has reportedly been cancelled, while the replay of her Problem Child in House appearance and some advertising materials have also faced changes.
For Netflix and the production team, this is an uncomfortable situation because the controversy is separate from the actual storyline of Our Sticky Love. The drama itself has been marketed around the chemistry between Ha Young and Jung Hae-in, with Ha Young playing a prosecutor who loses her memories and finds herself living under the same roof as a man claiming to be her boyfriend.
The situation therefore creates a difficult balance for the production. Pulling promotional attention away from the actress can reduce the immediate controversy around the show, but it can also affect the visibility of a series that was designed around its two leads. With the drama already streaming, the next question will be whether the controversy remains concentrated around Ha Young personally or begins affecting the wider reception of the series.
What Happens to Ha Young’s Next Dramas?
The bigger concern is not necessarily Our Sticky Love, but the projects Ha Young already has lined up. She is attached to SBS’s 2027 legal drama There’s a Winning Chance, where she stars opposite Lee Je-hoon as rookie lawyer Yeo Shim-hee. SBS included the series in its first-half 2027 drama lineup, describing it as a bright and comedic legal detective story centered on an unconventional law office.
SBS has already acknowledged awareness of the current situation. A representative said the drama has completed a significant portion of filming and that the network is closely monitoring how the matter develops. The representative also said it was difficult to provide specific details about the amount filmed or the exact production progress at this point, leaving the project’s immediate promotional plans unclear.
That does not mean Ha Young has been removed from the drama. In fact, the production is already substantially filmed, which makes any major casting change far more complicated than it would be for a project that had not started production. There’s a Winning Chance remains part of SBS’s announced 2027 lineup, and the network has not announced a replacement for Ha Young.
Her other major project is The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call. Netflix’s medical drama became an important step in Ha Young’s growing profile, and plans for future seasons have been developing. A June report said production on Season 2 was expected to begin in October, with the returning cast including Ju Ji-hoon, Choo Young-woo, Ha Young and Yoon Kyung-ho, although Netflix at that time said it was still positively discussing future seasons rather than confirming every production detail.
More recent reporting has described Seasons 2 and 3 as moving toward production, with filming scheduled to begin in October 2026. The reported plan is to produce the seasons together, giving Ha Young another significant project at a moment when her career is already under intense public scrutiny.
For now, the most important factor is how the controversy develops from here. Ha Young has not been accused of personally committing the historical actions attributed to her great-grandfather, and the agency’s latest statement is focused on acknowledging the existence of the 1916 record and apologizing for its earlier denial. At the same time, the public response shows that the way a celebrity discusses family history can become a serious issue when the history involves one of the most painful periods in modern Korean history.
The immediate focus will therefore be on whether Ha Young or her agency makes any further statement, whether her upcoming promotional schedules change, and how SBS and Netflix handle their existing projects. Our Sticky Love has already launched, while There’s a Winning Chance and The Trauma Code represent longer-term commitments that are much harder to separate from an established cast. For an actress whose profile was rising quickly, the next few weeks could determine whether this remains a short-lived controversy or becomes a defining setback in her career.
Ha Young Controversy: Questions Answered
What started the Ha Young controversy?
The controversy began after Ha Young discussed her family’s four-generation medical background on Problem Child in House and spoke about her great-grandfather, who was later identified as doctor Ahn Sang Ho. Historical records cited in the controversy list Ahn Sang Ho as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916.
What did Ha Young’s agency confirm?
BISTUS Entertainment initially called the allegations groundless but reversed that position on August 11 after further verification. The agency confirmed that a record exists listing Ahn Sang Ho as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916.
Is Ha Young personally accused of pro-Japanese activity?
The controversy concerns the historical activities and records associated with her great-grandfather, not an action committed by Ha Young herself. The agency’s latest statement does not accuse Ha Young of participating in those activities.
Has Ha Young been removed from Our Sticky Love?
There is no indication that Ha Young has been removed from the Netflix series. Our Sticky Love premiered on August 7, with Ha Young playing the female lead opposite Jung Hae-in.
What happens to There’s a Winning Chance?
SBS has not announced that Ha Young will leave the drama. The network said a significant portion of filming has already been completed and that it is monitoring the situation. The series remains scheduled for 2027.
Will Ha Young return for The Trauma Code Season 2?
Current production reports list Ha Young among the returning cast for the planned second season. Production has been reported as scheduled to begin in October 2026, although earlier Netflix comments described future seasons as being under discussion before later reports indicated movement toward production.
