Actor Lee Ji-ah / Courtesy of BH Entertainment

Actor Lee Ji-ah, whose real name is Kim Ji-ah, has addressed her grandfather Kim Soon-heung's (1910–1981) alleged pro-Japanese activities.

Lee released a statement Friday through her agency, BH Entertainment, saying, "I have hesitated for a long time, but I believe it is right to take responsibility and set the record straight, even though it is difficult to speak out."

Lee said, "Since becoming independent at 18, I have never received any financial support from my parents. Due to a complicated family history, I have been estranged from them for over a decade."

She said she has no knowledge of or involvement in the ongoing legal dispute over family-owned land.

Her statement came after The Fact, an online media outlet, said that Lee's biological father is involved in a legal dispute with his siblings over the land.

The land in question in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, formerly a military site, was reportedly repurchased by Kim Soon-heung's heirs after the base relocated to Ansan in 2013. Lee's father is accused of forging documents using his siblings' seals during the process, involving land worth about 35 billion won ($26 million).

Regarding her grandfather's alleged pro-Japanese activities during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule, Lee explained that he died when she was two years old, so she has no personal memories of him and was unaware of his actions growing up.

After learning of the controversy, she said she visited the Center for Historical Truth and Justice several times to verify the facts. "During that process, I confirmed my grandfather's record of (pro-Japanese) donations. Regardless of the historical context of that era, I believe such actions cannot be justified for any reason," Lee said.

She added, "If the land in Anyang, which is at the center of the controversy, was acquired during the Japanese colonial period, it should rightfully be reclaimed by the state."

Lee said that she has never made any statements praising her grandfather. "There have been false claims online that I said I respect my grandfather. I want to make it clear that this is not true," she said.

"As a descendant, I sincerely apologize," she said. "I will continue to face the truths of history with humility and live with a sense of responsibility."

Lee made her acting debut in 2007 as the lead in the drama "The Legend," gaining widespread attention. From 2020 to 2021, she starred in all three seasons of SBS's "Penthouse," showcasing her versatility and marking a career resurgence.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.