Actress Lee Ji-ah (46, Kim Ji-ah) will not attend the photocall event scheduled for today (24).
According to an official document from the brand, which had originally planned for Lee Ji-ah, G-Dragon, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Sae-rok, BamBam, Hwasa, and So-yeon to attend, Lee Ji-ah has been excluded from the list of attendees.
This appears to be a consequence of the recent controversy surrounding her grandfather (the late Kim Soon-hung) being accused of pro-Japanese activities. Recently, it was revealed that Lee Ji-ah's father is engaged in a legal battle with his siblings over a land inheritance worth around 35 billion won, which has brought renewed attention to her grandfather's pro-Japanese actions.
As negative public sentiment regarding the issue spread, Lee Ji-ah issued a statement through her agency BH Entertainment on the 21st, saying, "I am completely unaware of the family assets or lawsuits related to the land ownership dispute that has become a controversy, and I have no connection to it."
She continued, "I first learned about my grandfather's past pro-Japanese actions through an article in 2011, and to verify the accuracy of this information, I visited the National Institute of Korean History several times to check related materials and study. During that process, I confirmed my grandfather's donation records, and considering the historical context of that time, I believe that such actions cannot be justified for any reason. Furthermore, if the land in question, which is at the center of this controversy, was acquired during the Japanese colonial period, it should definitely be returned to the state," expressing her firm stance.
Additionally, she stated, "I deeply recognize my grandfather's historical mistakes and sincerely apologize as a descendant," bowing her head, and emphasized, "I will continue to approach the truth of history with humility and live with a sense of responsibility."
Although Lee Ji-ah faced the controversy surrounding her grandfather head-on and attempted to quell the issue, she ultimately chose not to attend the scheduled photocall event, possibly due to feeling overwhelmed.
