As the pro-Japanese controversy surrounding actress Ha-young's family history continues to escalate, author So Jae-won has stepped forward with strong criticism, referencing the painful history of Sorokdo.

■ History of Human Rights Violations at Sorokdo... Vasectomies Performed on 1,191 Hansen's Disease Patients from 1949 to 1958 It was revealed through the 2005 National Human Rights Commission of Korea's 'Survey on the Human Rights Conditions of Hansen's Disease Patients' that vasectomies were performed on 1,191 Hansen's disease patients at Sorokdo Hospital between 1949 and 1958. At the time, only couples who had undergone the procedure were permitted to live together. Additionally, human rights violations — including experiments inserting needles into patients' chests to detect leprosy bacteria in their bone marrow, autopsies performed without family consent, forced isolation, abortions, and sterilization procedures — continued into the 1980s.

■ So Jae-won: "Frivolous Family Boasting... Go to Sorokdo and See with Your Own Eyes and Ears" On the 11th, So Jae-won took to her social media to address Ha-young directly, writing, "I wish to convey this story carefully and with the utmost caution in response to her unbearably frivolous family boasting," sharing a post based on her 2014 visit to Sorokdo.

She emphasized, "Sorokdo holds a history that neither the Japanese colonial period nor the Republic of Korea can ever speak of proudly." She also stated, "For an ordinary person, medical skill was the art of healing that saved lives, but at Sorokdo, it was the art of killing."

She continued, "Even now, the sterilization tables stained with blood and body parts pickled in alcohol at Sorokdo bear witness to the pain. If you truly have such a proud and dignified ancestor, go visit Sorokdo. Confront the tragic history committed during both the Japanese colonial era and under the Republic of Korea. See for yourself with your own two eyes and ears whether your glib tongue has trivialized precious sacrifices and a history of unjust suffering." She also included the hashtag '#TheTruthOfTheHistoryHa-youngWantedToTell.'

Previously, on the 10th, So had already expressed her critical stance, writing, "I read a bitter article ahead of Liberation Day. We now live in a world where even an ancestor with a pro-Japanese record is something to boast about. To think I would live to see people bragging about a pro-Japanese collaborator ancestor. This is the consequence of our history's failure to punish pro-Japanese collaborators. If history had punished pro-Japanese actions, would their descendants have been able to speak so proudly?"

■ Origin of the Controversy... Ha-young Mentions 'Four Generations of Doctors' on Broadcast Ha-young recently mentioned coming from a four-generation family of doctors on programs including KBS2's 'Rooftop Problem Children.' She stated that her great-grandfather was one of the first to open a Western medicine clinic in Hanyang, studied medicine in Japan, and treated Emperor Gojong.

However, the controversy erupted when it was revealed that her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, was listed as a council member of the pro-Japanese organization Daejeong Chinnokhoe (1916) during the Japanese colonial period. The controversy surrounding her family history further expanded when the record of her grandfather, Ahn Bu-ho, working at Sorokdo Hospital was also made public.

■ Ha-young's Side: "Acknowledge Affiliation with 1916 Organization... Deeply Apologize" In response, Ha-young's side issued an official apology. Her side stated, "During a recent appearance on a broadcast program, she mentioned her family's four-generation medical history. The actress herself feels deeply burdened that this unintentionally sparked controversy. We take to heart the distress caused by this incident and will approach matters with greater caution and humility going forward."