Singer Chungha / Courtesy of MNH Entertainment
Ahead of the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule on Saturday, pro-Japanese activities by actor Ha Young's great-grandfather have stirred controversy. As National Liberation Day approaches, here are some K-pop and entertainment stars who are descendants of Korean independence fighters.
Chungha
Singer Chungha's maternal grandfather, Kim Yong-geun, was an independence and pro-democracy activist. He received the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990 and was recognized as a person of distinguished service to the May 18 Democratization Movement in 2002.
During Japan's colonial rule, Kim refused to worship at Shinto shrines, a religious practice imposed on Koreans. He also formed an assassination squad targeting Korea's Japanese governor-general, though the plot didn't succeed.
