Oh Ha-young's great-grandfather owned 2,700 pyeong of land in Gunpo

Interest is growing regarding the wealth and social status of An Sang-ho, the great-grandfather of actress Oh Ha-young, after it was confirmed that he owned approximately 2,700 pyeong of land in the Gunpo area of Gyeonggi-do during the early Japanese colonial period.

According to a report by Weekly Kyunghyang on the 20th, the owner column for lot number 235 of the land survey register in Geumjeong-ri, Nam-myeon, Siheung-gun, Gyeonggi-do, is inscribed with An Sang-ho's name in Hanja, '安商浩'. The land category is listed as 'Dap' (畓), meaning rice paddy, and the area is recorded as 2,700 pyeong.

The same lot was also identified in the cadastral original map. The land was located near the Gyeongbu Line railway at the time and corresponds to the Geumjeong-dong area in Gunpo-si under current administrative divisions. Traces of the old lot number are reported to connect to the area where the current Geumjeong IC is located.

This data is drawing attention because, amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding An Sang-ho's pro-Japanese activities, his specific land ownership during the early Japanese colonial period has been further confirmed through historical documents.

Previously, on the July 7 broadcast of KBS 2TV's "Problem Child in House," Oh introduced her family history, stating, "My great-grandfather was the first doctor to open a clinic in Hanyang after studying Western medicine in Japan," and "He even treated Emperor Gojong." She also mentioned that four generations, from her great-grandfather to her older sister, have been doctors.

However, following the broadcast, controversy arose as records regarding An's activities during the Japanese colonial period began to circulate. Oh's side initially explained the raised suspicions, but they corrected their position after additional data was confirmed. Oh herself issued a handwritten apology on the 12th, expressing regret that she failed to sufficiently consider the historical context while introducing her family history.

The Institute for Research in Contemporary History stated that while An is not listed in the Pro-Japanese Persons Dictionary because he does not meet the specific criteria for inclusion, this should not be immediately interpreted as meaning he had no pro-Japanese activities. This is because being listed in the Pro-Japanese Persons Dictionary and the historical evaluation of an individual's actions during the Japanese colonial period are not identical concepts.

Data showing An's wealth and social activities is not limited to the land survey register confirmed this time.

In October 1926, an article in the 'Dong-A Ilbo' reported that a Japanese national, who had worked as a mountain keeper on a mountain owned by An for about 17 years, was killed while supervising logging workers. Calculating backward from that record, the time An entrusted the management of said mountain is estimated to be around 1909.

At the time, An operated a hospital at 16 Jongno 3-jeongmok and was later mentioned as a major landowner holding land near Anyang Station. In December 1923, he was also involved in legal disputes related to land, such as a lawsuit to cancel a certificate regarding land in the Paju area of Gyeonggi-do.

The Geumjeong-ri lot number 235 confirmed this time was also subdivided into several lots later. It is reported that the land was expropriated by the state and Siheung-gun in 1983 and 1986, respectively, and the existing registry was closed after it was merged into the adjacent lot 87-22 in 2002.

Ultimately, this data is significant in that it goes beyond the simple fact that 'there was 2,700 pyeong of land' and serves as a historical record showing that An possessed a considerable amount of land and wealth from the early Japanese colonial period. However, the fact of land ownership alone cannot be used to conclude an individual's pro-Japanese actions or define their entire wealth formation process; additional review of historical documents regarding the circumstances of land acquisition and the socio-economic relationships of the time is required.

Nevertheless, as the family histories of celebrities emerge as subjects of historical verification around Liberation Day, the atmosphere of controversy does not easily subside. In particular, as Oh's past remarks introducing her family's economic background and lifestyle in variety shows are being recalled, there is a growing perspective that connects the contents of past broadcasts with the historical context of her family history.

Appearing on KBS 2TV's "Fun-Staurant" in May last year, Oh once mentioned that there were five refrigerators in her family home, saying, "They rot every day because we don't eat them." At the time, it was consumed as an anecdote showing the family's scale and lifestyle, but following this controversy, her past remarks regarding the family's economic background are being re-examined.

This matter shows that consuming a celebrity's family history as a mere anecdote of a famous family is a separate issue from objectively verifying historical facts. The evaluation of An's activities and wealth formation during the Japanese colonial period should be conducted through a comprehensive review of primary sources, such as land registers, newspaper articles, and administrative records, rather than through the statements of descendants or fragmented online claims.