Actress Ha Young reportedly broke down in tears while filming her upcoming SBS drama after a controversy surrounding her great-grandfather’s alleged pro-Japanese activities continued to intensify. According to a report by MyDaily cited by multiple Korean media outlets, the actress suddenly became overwhelmed during filming on August 13 and was unable to regain her composure, forcing production to temporarily stop. After taking several hours to rest and recover, Ha Young reportedly returned to the set and completed her scheduled scenes.

The incident comes at an especially difficult moment for the actress. Ha Young has recently faced widespread public scrutiny after historical records concerning her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang Ho, resurfaced and drew attention to his alleged involvement in pro-Japanese activities during Korea’s Japanese colonial period. The controversy quickly expanded beyond social media, placing additional pressure on Ha Young as she continued working on a drama that is already nearing the end of production.

The issue first gained significant attention after Ha Young appeared on KBS2’s Problem Child in House on August 7. During the program, she spoke about her family’s medical background and said that her great-grandfather had studied medicine in Japan, opened a Western-style clinic in Hanyang and treated Emperor Gojong. Following the broadcast, online users began identifying the relative she had described as physician Ahn Sang Ho and subsequently brought historical records concerning his activities during the colonial era back into public discussion.

Among the records highlighted in reports was Ahn Sang Ho’s appearance on a 1916 list of council members connected to the Daejeong Friendship Association, an organization associated with pro-Japanese activities. Other reports also pointed to material portraying his Japanese-style lifestyle and his work at Sorokdo Hospital. As those details circulated, the controversy surrounding Ha Young’s family history rapidly intensified.

Ha Young’s agency initially denied the allegations surrounding her great-grandfather. However, after further examination, the agency changed its position and acknowledged that Ahn Sang Ho had engaged in pro-Japanese activities. Ha Young subsequently issued a handwritten apology, saying that she took her great-grandfather’s actions seriously and apologized as his descendant.

The controversy has nevertheless continued despite the apology. Ha Young has remained involved in filming SBS’s upcoming drama, which has been reported under the title There Is a Chance of Winning and is scheduled to air next year. The series is a Korean remake of the Japanese legal drama Legal V, with Lee Je Hoon playing Kwon Baek and Ha Young portraying rookie lawyer Yeo Sim Hee.

The fact that Ha Young is starring in a remake of a Japanese drama has added another unusual dimension to the controversy. Korean media have noted that the production’s Japanese origins have drawn additional attention because the actress is simultaneously facing scrutiny over her great-grandfather’s history during the Japanese colonial period. That connection does not establish any wrongdoing by Ha Young herself, but it has made the controversy particularly sensitive in South Korea.

Production has continued despite the backlash. SBS previously stated that a significant portion of the drama had already been completed and that the network was aware of the situation and monitoring developments. Reports indicate that filming is now in its final stages, meaning replacing Ha Young at this point would be particularly complicated from a production standpoint.

The timing of the drama’s eventual broadcast could create another challenge. The series is reportedly scheduled to premiere in February next year, placing its run close to March 1, Korea’s Independence Movement Day. Korean media have therefore raised concerns that the controversy could continue to follow the production after its release, particularly because of the drama’s Japanese source material.

The fallout has already affected Ha Young’s other activities. According to reports, some advertisements featuring the actress have been made private, while reruns of Problem Child in House featuring her appearance have been suspended. Promotional material connected to Netflix’s Our Sticky Love has also reportedly been affected, demonstrating how quickly a controversy involving an actor can spread across multiple projects.

Her birthday also reportedly passed under unusually somber circumstances. Ha Young’s birthday was August 11, one day after the controversy became public. A birthday cake celebration had reportedly been planned at the drama set, but the event was canceled, with the day passing without the originally planned celebration.

Against this backdrop, the reported incident on August 13 has attracted considerable attention. The available reports describe Ha Young becoming emotional during filming and crying, followed by a temporary suspension of production. After several hours away from filming, she reportedly composed herself and returned to complete the work scheduled for that day.

It is important, however, to distinguish between what has been reported and what remains unknown. The reports do not establish exactly what caused Ha Young to begin crying at that particular moment, nor do they provide a direct statement from the actress explaining what she was feeling. It is therefore more accurate to say that the incident occurred amid the ongoing controversy rather than claim definitively that the controversy itself caused her emotional breakdown.

The situation has also triggered debate over whether Ha Young should personally bear responsibility for the actions of an ancestor. Some Korean commentators have argued that historical wrongdoing committed by a great-grandfather should not automatically determine the career of a descendant who was not involved in those actions. Others have focused on Ha Young’s own decision to discuss her family history publicly and the subsequent need to address the historical record accurately.

For now, SBS appears to be maintaining a cautious position rather than announcing Ha Young’s removal from the drama. With much of the production already completed and filming nearing its conclusion, the immediate focus is on whether the controversy will eventually subside and whether the drama can proceed without further disruption.

Ha Young’s reported breakdown therefore marks another dramatic development in a controversy that has rapidly moved from a television interview into questions about family history, advertising contracts and the future of an upcoming K-drama. The tears on set may have lasted only a few hours, but the controversy surrounding Ha Young shows no sign of disappearing, leaving her next career move under an increasingly intense spotlight.