KB News Desk
A website that helps Koreans trace their family origins and learn about historical figures and genealogies has experienced a boost in traffic after actor Ahn Ha-young came under public scrutiny over her ancestor’s alleged pro-Japanese activities during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.
As interest in the website, whose Korean name translates as “In search of roots,” surged over the past few days, its server was overloaded for several hours Wednesday evening and continued to crash for several minutes at a time Thursday.
The site provides information on 287 types of family lineages in South Korea, including their origins and population sizes.
The website drew particular attention as users searched for information about Ahn’s great-grandfather, whom the actor said on television was a doctor who had opened the first Western-style clinic in Seoul and treated Emperor Gojong (1852-1919).
When online users raised allegations that Ahn Sang-ho, the actor’s ancestor, had ties to pro-Japanese collaborators during the colonial period, Ahn Ha-young’s agency initially denied the claims, prompting further scrutiny and searches for historical records. On Wednesday, the actor apologized publicly, saying she had been unaware of her family’s past and regretted having spoken proudly about it.
The controversy came just days before Korea marks Liberation Day on Aug. 15, commemorating the country’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
