What did Lee Hye-sung say?

Broadcaster Lee Hye-sung responded on SNS on October 21 to criticism that his YouTube remarks seemed to support actor Ha-young. He wrote that the line, "Should we atone for the sins of our ancestors?", was a quotation and not an expression of his own opinion.

What was the context?

In a YouTube segment introducing Harvard professor Michael Sandel's book Justice, Lee indirectly referred to a controversy over the pro-Japanese collaboration record of Ha-young's great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho. According to Dispatch, he began by saying that a public figure's ancestor's collaboration had come to light. He then asked a series of questions about whether descendants should atone for ancestors' sins and whether nations should apologize for historical wrongs.

What is Lee's explanation?

Lee said he "has never given a personal opinion" and that he was explaining that humans are "narrative beings" shaped by history. He also said he introduced a scholar who criticized an American's view of slavery as "none of my business" as moral vulgarity. Dispatch noted that Lee's own view appeared near the end of the video, where he cited an American philosopher on descendants bearing responsibility for ancestors' debts.

Where does Ha-young's situation stand?

Ha-young's great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, was tied to pro-Japanese activity, which sparked controversy. Ha-young issued a public apology and was removed from filming the sequel to Netflix's Trauma Center, according to the report.

For international fans

The controversy centers on how Korean public figures are judged for their family history. Fans outside Korea can follow updates through Korean entertainment news outlets such as Dispatch.