‘Pro-Japanese great-grandfather’ Ha Young exits Netflix’s The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call … “We respect the actor’s decision”

From a celebrated family history to the burden of a pro-Japanese legacy, a downfall foretold

Actor Ha Young, 33, will make a disgraced exit from the follow-up to Netflix’s original series The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call after becoming embroiled in a controversy over her great-grandfather’s alleged ties to Japan’s colonial rule. Netflix said on the first, “After accepting the actor’s decision, we have made a final determination that she will not appear in the new season.”

Ironically, the controversy began with Ha Young herself. Appearing last month on KBS 2TV’s variety show Problem Child in House, she proudly introduced herself as coming from a “family of doctors for four generations.” Soon after the broadcast, however, it emerged that her great-grandfather was Ahn Sang-ho (1872-1927), who worked as a doctor during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. Public sentiment quickly turned, as allegations of pro-Japanese activity surrounding his past spread uncontrollably, particularly across online communities.

The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call is a fast-paced medical action series depicting the exploits of a brilliant surgeon. Ha Young left a deep impression on viewers in the first season, released last year to critical acclaim, with her acclaimed portrayal of Cheon Jang-mi, a nurse on the severe-trauma team. She had initially been expected to play a central role in the follow-up alongside prominent actors Ju Ji-hoon and Choo Young-woo. But she has now begun the process of leaving the production after being unable to withstand the weight of the controversy over this “historical wrongdoing.”

As the controversy snowballed, Ha Young bowed her head and said, “I only became aware of my great-grandfather’s ‘pro-Japanese activities’ belatedly, while personally reviewing relevant historical materials.” She added, “I deeply regret mentioning my family history so casually without properly understanding the painful history our nation endured under Japanese colonial rule,” and said, “I take the mistakes of my forebears very seriously and offer my heartfelt apology as their descendant.”

Even so, an angry public remains cold toward her. Viewers are issuing increasingly forceful demands that she withdraw entirely not only from the SBS drama We Have a Winning Hand, which is reportedly already well into production, but also from Season 2 and Season 3 of The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, which had been selected as her next projects. A careless remark by an actor confronted with “historical responsibility” has come back as a devastating blow from which there may be no recovery.