Netflix interview cancelled as Ha Young faces backlash over ancestor’s wartime ties

Netflix has cancelled a scheduled interview with actors Ha Young and Jung Hae-in ahead of the streaming release of A Love So Beautiful, following mounting criticism of Ha Young's family history.

The interview, set for 14 August at a café in Seoul's Samcheong-dong district, was postponed after Ha Young withdrew from the appearance. When Jung Hae-in's team considered whether to proceed without her, Netflix opted to cancel both actors' participation, according to reports on 11 August.

The controversy stems from Ha Young's recent television appearance, where she discussed her great-grandfather Ahn Sang-ho, describing him as the first Western-trained physician in Korea and noting that he had treated Emperor Gojong. After the broadcast, historical records surfaced indicating that Ahn Sang-ho had been active in the Taejeong Chinmok-hoe, a pro-Japanese organisation during the colonial period, and had married a Japanese woman.

Ha Young's agency initially denied the allegations as baseless, then reversed course the following day, acknowledging that Ahn Sang-ho's name appeared in the group's records as a councillor in 1916. The agency apologised for the hasty response but stopped short of issuing a statement from Ha Young herself addressing the remarks she made on air.

Netflix's decision to cancel the interview suggests concern that public discussion would centre on the controversy rather than the series. Ha Young has not publicly apologised for portraying her ancestor in a positive light or for her initial lack of acknowledgment regarding his documented colonial-era associations.