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On December 24, 2023, the prominent South Korean actress Han So-hee took to her Instagram account and shared a post regarding the independence activist and pan-Asianist Ah Jung-geun (also known as Ahn Joong-keun), who is remembered as a martyr in South Korea and North Korea.
He fought for South Korea's independence and is known for assassinating the Japanese politician, Itō Hirobumi, for which he was later executed by the Japanese authorities.
As Han So-hee shared a post allegedly paying tribute to Ah Jung-geun, followed by the release of her drama Gyeongseong Creature, Japanese fans started accusing her of peddling anti-Japanese sentiments. However, Korean fans started defending the actress, stating that, being a Korean, she did nothing wrong.
Fans are divided on social media over whether Han So-hee is anti-Japanese or not
On December 22, 2023, Netflix released the first part of the Gyeongseong Creature. Fans worldwide heaped praise on Han So-hee for her impeccable acting skills and praised the storyline of the fantasy series. According to Netflix, the official synopsis for the drama is as follows:
"Gyeongseong- 1945. In Seoul's grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed."
While Han So-hee shared her post about the independence activist Ahn Jung-geun, she also included some stills from her recently released drama Gyeongseong Creature and discussed the extent of South Korea's suffering during its colonization. The media outlet allkpop provided the translation of her Instagram caption:
"Not the romance of Kyungsung (district of Korea under Japanese rule, present-day Seoul), not the creatures of the Japanese colonial period, but the story of people confronting monsters that were born into experiments to instrumentalize human beings. That brilliant and dark time, the spring of that year, when people had to embrace each other through love in order to become stronger"
As An Jung-geun is known for assassinating Japanese politician Ito Hirobumi (the first Prime Minister of Japan and Resident-General of Korea) in 1909, he is honored as a martyr in both South Korea and North Korea. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for Nation Foundation in 1962 by the South Korean Government. However, he was killed and executed by Japanese authorities in 1910.
Since the matter concerning An Jung-geun is a sensitive topic for both countries, Japanese fans have turned their backs on Han So-hee, allegedly accusing her of being anti-Japanese. Many fans stated that they would unfollow her and no longer watch her drama. They also urged the actress to study history properly and never set foot in Japan.
In her defense, Korean fans came forward and expressed pride, stating that she showcased her true patriotic self through the post. They took to social media, asserting that she did not deserve rude comments from Japanese individuals who allegedly never apologized for colonizing South Korea.
Fans are divided on social media due to the actress's Instagram post.
Han So-hee's Gyeongseong Creature is available to stream on Netflix. Part 2 of the ongoing drama will air on January 5, 2024.
