Actress Ha Young has gained over 200,000 Instagram followers in just one week despite the ongoing controversy involving her family.
Actress Ha Young's social media following has increased by more than 200,000 in just over a week. As controversy continues to surround her great-grandfather's alleged pro-Japanese activities, growing global interest in Ha Young has also been fueled by the success of her Netflix series 'Our Sticky Love' overseas. As of the afternoon of August 19, Ha Young's Instagram following had surpassed 1.24 million. After reaching 1 million followers just a week ago, she gained more than 200,000 additional followers within just a few days.
It is difficult to attribute the surge in followers to a single factor. While public interest in Ha Young has increased following the recent controversy over her great-grandfather's alleged pro-Japanese activities, the international popularity of 'Our Sticky Love', in which she stars alongside Jung Hae In, also appears to have played a role. 'Our Sticky Love' recorded 7.5 million views from August 10 to 16, ranking No. 1 on Netflix's Global Top 10 TV Shows (Non-English) chart. The series accumulated 88 million hours viewed during the same period. The series, which debuted at No. 5 on the Non-English TV Shows chart during its first week, climbed to the top spot in its second week. It ranked No. 1 in 26 countries, including South Korea, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, and Indonesia.
Released on August 7, 'Our Sticky Love' is a romantic comedy about Go Eun Sae, a prosecutor who has lost her memory, and Jang Tae Ha, a boxing coach who claims to be her boyfriend. Ha Young plays Go Eun Sae, while Jung Hae In portrays Jang Tae Ha. Ha Young came under scrutiny after introducing her family during promotional activities for the series as a "four-generation family of doctors." Shortly afterward, information about the past activities of her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang Ho, came to light, sparking controversy. The controversy intensified after reports emerged that Ahn Sang Ho had been included on a list of council members of the Daejeong Fellowship Association, a pro-Japanese organization during Japan's colonial rule of Korea. He was also reportedly featured in newspapers at the time in connection with the concept of "Japan and Korea as One."
On August 12, Ha Young posted a handwritten apology on her social media account. She said she had only known a limited version of her great-grandfather's life based on stories passed down through her family, and that she learned about his alleged pro-Japanese activities while personally researching relevant historical records. She also expressed regret for proudly discussing her family history without having a proper understanding of the history of Korea under Japanese colonial rule. Ha Young said she took her great-grandfather's actions seriously and apologized as his descendant. Following the controversy, interviews that had been scheduled to promote 'Our Sticky Love' were canceled. Despite the circumstances, Ha Young's social media following continued to grow rapidly, while the series itself climbed to No. 1 on Netflix's Non-English TV Shows chart just two weeks after its release.
Born on August 11, 1993, Ha Young's real name is Ahn Ha Young.
She began her acting career in 2019 with a role as Na Yi Hyun in KBS2's 'Doctor Prisoner.' She subsequently appeared in 'Chocolate,' 'Soul Mechanic,' 'Private Lives,' 'Royal Secret Agent,' 'Mouse,' 'Let Me Be Your Knight,' and 'Now, We Are Breaking Up,' among other productions. In 2022, she made a special appearance as Kim Hwa Young in ENA's 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' and also appeared in JTBC's 'The Good Detective 2.' In the 2023 Netflix series 'Doona!', she played Kim Jin Joo. In 2024, she appeared in tvN's 'O'PENing - The Daughter of an Obsessive Fan' and KBS2's 'Face Me.' One of the projects that helped raise Ha Young's profile was Netflix's 2025 series 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.' She played Chun Jang Mi, a nurse working with the severe trauma team, alongside actors including Ju Ji Hoon and Choo Young Woo. That same year, she was nominated for Best New Actress in the Television category at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards and Best New Actress at the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards for her performance in 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.' This year, Ha Young also made a special appearance in the Netflix series 'Teach You a Lesson.' Following 'Our Sticky Love', her next project will be SBS' upcoming drama 'The Long Shot Trial.' Ha Young will play rookie lawyer Yeo Shim Hee, with the drama currently filming for a planned premiere in the first half of next year.
