Hyukoh Music Video Controversy, Turns Out Ando Sakura Is the Japanese Prime Minister's Great-Granddaughter? - The Identity of Assassinated Tsuyoshi Inukai

Japanese actress Ando Sakura, who appeared in the music video for Hyukoh's new song 'GODSPEED!' after 6 years, turns out to be the great-granddaughter of a Japanese Prime Minister during the Japanese colonial period?! I've summarized the controversy.

everyone Hyukoh comeback news Did you hear?! 😭 Since it's a new song after a whopping 6 years, everyone must have been looking forward to it so much, but as soon as the music video was released, an unexpected controversy erupted. Right away The family history of Japanese actress Ando Sakura, who appeared as the protagonist in the music video That is the reason, and it is becoming an even bigger hot topic because it broke out right after Liberation Day. I wondered what was going on at first too, but the more I looked into it, the more interesting it became, so I’ve put together a summary ✨

1. Hyukoh's Comeback After 6 Years: What Is the New Song 'GODSPEED!'?

Band Hyukoh to release new single 'GODSPEED!' on August 18, 2026, at 6 PM i did it.

혁오 뮤비 논란, 안도 사쿠라 알고보니 일본 총리 외증손녀? - 암살당한 이누카이 쓰요시 정체

As this is a new song released about six years after the 2020 EP 'With Love,' the news of the comeback alone had already caused quite a stir among fans. It is said to capture the story of living life again through the lethargy of repetitive daily life and the love that stayed by one's side, expressed through Oh Hyuk's signature calm vocals.

The music video was released on the 17th, a day before the official release, and that is where the controversy began. It works.

2. Who is the music video protagonist Ando Sakura?

The one who took on the lead role in the music video Japanese actress Ando Sakura (40) It is.

He is already a famous actor in Korea, known for 'Shoplifters', 'The Host', '100 Yen Love', etc. Acting skills recognized through various films, including works by Director Hirokazu Koreeda He received it. He is an actor with deep ties to the Korean film industry, as he also appeared in Director Chung Ju-ri's film 'Dora,' which was an official selection at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival this year.

The agency stated that casting Ando Sakura enhanced the cinematic quality and immersion of the music video. It is said that the music video impressively portrays a scene where a character who has been running non-stop since childhood faces their future self in an exhausted state.

3. Ando Sakura's Family History - Was Her Maternal Great-Grandfather the Prime Minister of Japan?

The problem starts here. The fact that Ando Sakura's maternal great-grandfather was Inukai Tsuyoshi, who served as the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 1931 to 1932 during the Japanese colonial period. This is what is known.

person Tsuyoshi Inukai
Birth and death June 4, 1855 – May 15, 1932
Prime Minister December 1931 – May 1932 (Killed in the May 15 Incident)
Relationship with Ando Sakura Maternal great-grandfather (maternal grandmother Ando Kazu's grandfather)
Controversial post 1896 Contribution to 'How to Modernize Joseon'

especially An article titled "How to Modernize Korea," contributed by Inukai to the magazine *The Japanese* in 1896, is being brought back into the spotlight. That's enough. Criticism that the content clearly reveals an imperialistic perspective, as it portrays Koreans as "beings with strong bodies but backward in spirit" and implies that the Japanese must lead them. This came out.

4. Why did the controversy escalate so much? - Timing was the problem

Actually, Tsuyoshi Inukai's personal history is a bit complicated. He Assassinated by young militaristic officers in 1932 was victimized (May 15 Incident), The target of Patriot Lee Bong-chang's heroic act He was also a person who was He was never officially recognized as a war criminal at the Tokyo Trials (International Military Tribunal for the Far East). They say.

Nevertheless, the reason the controversy escalated was because of the timing 😅

The fact that it is a music video released immediately after Liberation Day (August 15).
The fact that this coincides with a time when the controversy surrounding actress Ha Young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activities has not yet subsided.
The fact that public interest was particularly high because it was a comeback work after 6 years

As these situations intertwined "Was it really necessary to cast this actor at this particular time?" That is how critical public opinion formed. Online reactions as well. "Was it really necessary to cast an actor who is a descendant of a war criminal?", "If you lack historical awareness, at least be tactful." My back was on the cold side.

5. The counterarguments are also formidable – "Isn't this guilt by association?"

On the other hand, blaming the descendant Ando Sakura for her ancestors' deeds is The rebuttal regarding guilt by association There are quite a lot of those, too. Actually, relief Sakura herself has never made any controversial remarks or taken any actions regarding historical awareness. And so on.

also The point that labeling Tsuyoshi Inukai a 'war criminal' is itself contrary to the facts There is also a counterargument that the terms 'pro-Japanese collaborator' or 'war criminal' are oversimplifications, given that he was never officially classified as a war criminal at the Tokyo Trials and was instead assassinated by the military for taking a cautious stance on the establishment of Manchukuo.

However, the view is that given he held key positions in Japanese politics during the imperialist era, it is difficult for him to be completely free from political responsibility for colonial rule and the war of aggression. It is also coming out together.

6. To summarize

Ultimately, it seems the focus of this controversy is shifting from whether Ando Sakura was personally right or wrong, to whether Hyukoh’s decision to cast the actress in question at this particular time for their comeback after six years was appropriate. Hyukoh has not yet released an official statement, and the new song 'GODSPEED!' was released on various music streaming sites as scheduled.

💡 Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q. Who is Ando Sakura?

A. A Japanese actor who appeared in 'Shoplifters', 'The Monster', '100 Yen Love', etc., and recently starred in the music video for Hyukoh's new song 'GODSPEED!'.

Q. What is the relationship between Ando Sakura and Inukai Tsuyoshi?

A. Tsuyoshi Inukai is Sakura Ando's maternal great-grandfather. Inukai's granddaughter, Kazu Ando, is known to be Sakura Ando's mother.

Q. What kind of person is Tsuyoshi Inukai?

A. He was a politician who served as the 29th Prime Minister of Japan during the Japanese colonial period from 1931 to 1932, and was assassinated by young officers during the May 15 Incident in 1932. He was not officially recognized as a war criminal at the Tokyo Trials.

Q. When was Hyukoh's new song 'GODSPEED!' released?

A. It was released on August 18, 2026 at 6 PM, and it is a new song released about 6 years after the 2020 EP 'With Love'.