Rising K-Drama actress Ha Young, who is currently embroiled in a massive scandal over her family’s pro-Japanese roots, has drawn significant attention due to her growing social media following.
Ha Young | @havv_y/Instagram
The controversy began when some netizens discovered the identity of Ha Young’s great-grandfather, whose name was found to be on the list of a pro-Japanese organization during Japan’s colonial rule in Korea. As the issue grew, her father addressed these claims, acknowledging the truth but insisting that his family was unaware of it.
Actress Ha Young’s Father Addresses Pro-Japanese Family History, Sparks Further Backlash
However, a resurfaced post from a speculated family relative of Ha Young cast suspicion on her father’s claim of ignorance. The matter became worse for the actress when even her grandfather’s tenure as the ‘Chief of the Medical Department at the National Sorokdo Rehabilitation Center,’ an establishment with recorded human rights abuses, came to light.
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Amid the growing controversies, Ha Young reportedly broke down on set, but netizens remained unmoved.
However, not all hope might be lost for the actress. Despite getting embroiled in this massive scandal, Ha Young’s social media has shown some unexpected development. According to reports, within the brief period of the controversy, she gained over 300,000 followers on Instagram alone. As of August 21, KST, her Instagram following stands at 1.3 million, up from 1 million just a week ago.
Though the exact reason for this follower spike is difficult to pinpoint, the controversy appears to play a major role. With heightened search volume and public interest, both due to her scandal and the success of her latest K-Drama, Our Sticky Love, Ha Young seems to have broadened her platform.
Some also speculate that this could indicate that sympathy and support for Ha Young is also growing among the general public, with many expressing the sentiment that descendants should not be punished for the crimes of their ancestors.
It remains to be seen whether Ha Young can fully regain her acceptability from her Korean audiences in the near future.