Actor Ha Young exits The Trauma Code sequel following colonial-era furorLast updated: September 02, 2026 | 08:203 MIN READHa-Young in Trauma Code Actor Ha Young will not return for the second season of Netflix’s hit medical drama The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, following controversy over remarks she made about her great-grandfather and renewed scrutiny of his activities during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea.Netflix confirmed the decision on Tuesday, saying Ha Young would not appear in the upcoming season “respecting the actor's position.” The actor, whose legal name is Ahn Ha-young, played nurse Cheon Jang-mi in the first season and had been expected to return alongside Ju Ji-hoon and Choo Young-woo.The controversy began after Ha Young appeared on the KBS talk show Problem Child in House on August 7. While discussing her family's four-generation medical history, she spoke about her great-grandfather, saying he had studied Western medicine in Japan and had opened a Western-style clinic in Hanyang. She also said she had heard that he had treated Emperor Gojong.The comments prompted online users to look more closely at the historical record surrounding her great-grandfather, doctor Ahn Sang Ho, particularly his activities during the period when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.According to historical records cited in coverage of the controversy, Ahn Sang Ho trained in Japan and became the first Korean to obtain a Japanese medical licence. Records have also drawn attention to his marriage to a Japanese woman and his adoption of aspects of Japanese customs.Another point of discussion has been a 1918 interview published in the Maeil Sinbo, in which he reportedly described himself as being “like a Japanese” and said he did not wear Korean clothing.The most significant scrutiny, however, has centred on records showing that Ahn Sang Ho was listed as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916.What is the Daejeong Chinmokhoe?The Daejeong Chinmokhoe was an organisation established during Japan's colonial rule of Korea that promoted closer relations between Koreans and Japanese.A 2007 academic paper described the organisation as a Japan-Korea assimilation group that supported the Japanese colonial government's policies and sought to promote closer ties between the two populations.The historical records concerning Ahn Sang Ho have since become the focus of criticism directed at Ha Young, although the records themselves concern her great-grandfather and date back more than a century.Ha Young apologisesHa Young later addressed the controversy herself, saying she had only known part of her great-grandfather's history.In an apology last month, the actor said she felt ashamed that she had spoken about him as a source of family pride without knowing the full historical context.Her agency, Bistus Entertainment, initially rejected reports about Ahn Sang Ho's alleged activities as baseless on August 10. The following day, however, it acknowledged that further checking had confirmed a historical record listing him as a council member of the Daejeong Chinmokhoe in 1916.The agency apologised for its initial response, saying it had acted too quickly without sufficiently verifying the historical material.It also said Ha Young was deeply troubled that her comments had unintentionally led to controversy and that she would approach her future activities with greater care.Netflix has now confirmed that Ha Young will not appear in The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call Season 2.Also In This PackageLakshana is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with over a decade of experience. She covers a wide range of stories—from community and health to mental health and inspiring people features.