Ha-young’s Great-Grandfather Controversy Delays ‘There’s a Chance’ From February; Baseball Drama to Take Its Place

Broadcasters apply stricter historical standards and move quickly to fill the schedule

A controversy over the alleged pro-Japanese activities of actor Ha-young’s great-grandfather has sent shock waves through the broadcasting industry. SBS’s new drama ‘There’s a Chance’, which was originally set to meet viewers next February, has been postponed indefinitely.

SBS confirmed the schedule change on the 19th, saying, “As this is a project made through the combined efforts of numerous staff members and cast, we are considering various options.” The network added, “A specific broadcast date has not yet been decided.”

The comic legal-detective drama had drawn anticipation with actors Lee Je-hoon and Ha-young in the lead roles. It tells the lighthearted story of a former lawyer turned office manager who runs a ragtag law firm, but the controversy over a lead actor’s pro-Japanese past has kept the series from seeing the light of day.

The latest controversy was sparked by allegations about the past conduct of Ha-young’s great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, which recently surfaced on online forums. As the uproar grew, Ha-young bowed her head and said, “As a descendant, I sincerely apologize.” She also voluntarily left seasons 2 and 3 of Netflix’s global OTT series ‘The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call’ and has effectively suspended her activities altogether.

The broadcasting industry moved quickly to find an alternative. ‘Full Count,’ a sports drama starring actors Kim Rae-won and Park Hoon, will take the place of ‘There’s a Chance,’ whose broadcast has been postponed indefinitely. The series depicts a fierce battle among people who risk everything to claim a professional baseball manager’s job. Attention is now focused on whether it can successfully fill the sudden gap in the schedule.