Kkokkomu Sorokdo Abortion and Corpse Dissection Controversy! Actress Ha Young's Grandfather, Professor Ahn Bu-ho

The forced abortions and corpse dissections of leprosy patients highlighted in the Sorokdo episode of *Kkokkomu*! From the controversy surrounding actress Ha Young's family's pro-Japanese collaboration to her grandfather Professor Ahn Bu-ho's employment history at the National Sorokdo Hospital, we provide an easy-to-understand summary of the key points of the controversy.

 

1. Kkokkomu Sorokdo Episode: The Shocking Truth About Forced Abortions and Autopsies

The history of Sorokdo covered on SBS's 'Kkokkomu' was the very definition of tragedy. Sorokdo, a beautiful island in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, is a place where leprosy patients were forcibly isolated and confined since the Japanese colonial era. Here, horrific human rights violations occurred that were unbearable for any human being.

 

The most shocking thing was the 14 fetal specimens and 122 organ specimens, such as brains and livers, contained in jars of formalin.

 

 

At that time on Sorokdo, if a leprosy patient's pregnancy was confirmed, they were transported to a hospital as if being dragged to a slaughterhouse and forced to receive an abortion injection, resulting in the loss of their child. Men were forcibly sterilized to prevent them from having children, and even this was entrusted to personnel who were former patients rather than specialists, making recovery impossible.

 

What was even more shocking was what happened after death. As soon as someone passed away, the body was dissected without exception under the pretext of academic research.

 

It is said that at the time, leprosy patients offered a sorrowful prayer, saying, "Lord, please call me on the Sunday when you call me."

2. Pro-Japanese controversy sparked by boasting of a 'family of doctors for four generations'

The reason the heartbreaking history of Sorokdo was brought up again was because of actress Ha Young's appearance on a variety show. Ha Young appeared on a variety program and her family Fourth generation doctor house management' It garnered a lot of attention by introducing it as such.

 

Following the broadcast, suspicions were raised within online communities regarding the activities of Hayoung's great-grandfather, Dr. Ahn Sang-ho, during the Japanese colonial period. Ahn Sang-ho was a figure who graduated from Tokyo Jikei Medical College in 1902, obtained a Japanese medical license, and even treated King Gojong.

 

At first, Hayoung's agency strongly denied the allegations of pro-Japanese collaboration, stating they were "groundless." However, during the additional verification process, it was confirmed that Mr. Ahn Sang-ho was listed on the council member list of the 'Taisho Friendship Association,' a pro-Japanese organization during the Japanese colonial period. Consequently, they reversed their stance and issued an official apology for their hasty response.

3. The Connection Between Hayoung's Grandfather, Professor Ahn Bu-ho, and Sorokdo

It didn't end with the controversy over my great-grandfather's pro-Japanese collaboration. Netizens are tracing the family history During the process, the background of Hayoung's grandfather, Professor Ahn Bu-ho, was also revealed. It became known that Professor Ahn had previously worked as a doctor and conducted research at the National Sorokdo Hospital.

 

As previously mentioned on *Kkokkomu*, Sorokdo Hospital was a symbolic place where inhumane human rights violations, such as state-sponsored forced isolation, sterilization, forced abortions, and corpse dissections, were perpetrated, wasn't it?

 

Of course, it has not been specifically confirmed whether Professor Ahn Bu-ho was directly involved in the abuse at the time, but given that his family had promoted itself under the frame of a "four-generation family of doctors," the mere fact that he is linked to the painful history of Sorokdo came as a huge shock to the public.

 

Because of this, clips and videos from the Kkokkomu Sorokdo episode were rapidly redistributed amidst various public opinions, and the controversy escalated to the point where people on social media even demanded unfollowings or removal from the show.

4. Guilt by association or historical verification? Heated debate in the community

Currently, there are mixed reactions within the community regarding this controversy.

 

Critics say there are many reactions stating, "It shows a lack of historical awareness to simply package and glorify a family's history of working at the site of painful history as a 'family of distinguished doctors spanning four generations,'" and "It is disappointing that they did not even properly verify the great-grandfather's pro-Japanese history and falsely explained it as baseless."

 

The conservative side is also strongly opposing the position that "it is a modern-day form of guilt by association for a descendant to be restricted from broadcasting activities due to the past actions of their ancestors," and that "it is merely the work of one's grandfather or great-grandfather, and one must distinguish between the two as they were not directly involved."

 

What do you think about this issue?

 

5. Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q1. What kind of place is the 'Sutanjang' mentioned in the Sorokdo episode of Kkokkomu?

 

A1. 'Sutanjang (Sutan-ui-gil)' was a barbed wire boundary line located between the staff area (No. 1) and the patient area (No. 2) on Sorokdo Island. It was a visiting place where parents with Hansen's disease and their young children who were not infected ('Migam-a') could meet exactly once a month. It was a tragic place of lamentation where, under the pretext of infection, they were forced to look at each other from a distance of 2 meters and were beaten with a stick if they tried to hold hands or hug.

 

Q2. Did the leprosy victims on Sorokdo receive legal compensation?

 

A2. After a long legal battle, we received a promise of compensation from the Japanese government for damages caused during the Japanese colonial period in 2006. Additionally, in a lawsuit for state compensation filed against the Korean government, the Supreme Court issued a final ruling in our favor in 2017, acknowledging that "the state's acts of forced sterilization and abortion were illegal acts that deprived humans of their fundamental rights" and ordering the government to pay damages to the victims.

 

Q3. What is actor Hayoung's final position?

 

A3. The agency deeply apologized for hastily responding that the claim was "groundless" without sufficient verification. The actor himself stated that he feels very heavy-hearted and has realized the need for careful verification when conveying historical facts.

 

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