Ahn faces continued repercussions across advertising and broadcasting over remarks about her great-grandfather
How long can the fallout from a controversy continue to follow a public figure? For Ahn Ha-young, her troubles show no signs of slowing.
The actor's advertisement for Japanese electronics brand Panasonic was confirmed Thursday to have been made private. This was just the latest difficulty she has faced across the advertising and broadcasting industries after a controversy over her great-grandfather’s activities during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea broke in August.
The advertisement, which featured Ahn as a model, was released in 2020. The reason the advertisement was made private has not been disclosed.
The move comes after Ahn was removed from several other advertising campaigns, including for clothing brand Atid, electronics giant Samsung Electronics and a public service campaign by the National Emergency Medical Center.
The fallout has also spread from advertising to the broadcasting industry.
A scheduled press interview with Ahn about her rom-com series “Our Sticky Love,” which premiered on Netflix in August, was canceled, while KBS’ “Problem Child in House,” on which Ahn’s remarks were aired, suspended its replay service and made related YouTube clips private.
Ahn will also not appear in the upcoming season of Netflix’s “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.” The actor had reportedly expressed her wish to step away from the franchise, with Netflix confirming her departure and saying it was “out of respect for the actor’s position.”
The Korean medical drama became a global hit following its January 2025 debut on Netflix, topping the platform’s charts in more than 26 countries. Following the success of its first season, second and third seasons were reportedly in development.
In early August, Ahn faced public backlash after speaking positively about her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, during several broadcasts. Historical records show that Ahn Sang-ho, a doctor active during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, served as a council member of the Daejeong Friendship Association, which was founded in 1916 and whose leadership included figures linked to Japan’s colonial government.
In a handwritten apology posted Aug. 12, Ahn said her understanding of her great-grandfather had been based on family accounts and that she had not fully understood his historical background or the implications of her remarks.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
