Anyang City Blog Glorifies Pro-Japanese Collaborator Ahn Sang-ho as Independence Activist…Son Ahn Bu-ho Suspected of Atrocities in Sorokdo

Anyang City's official blog published a post introducing Ahn Sang-ho as 'a figure with a strong anti-Japanese national consciousness,' sparking controversy. It was found that this post, despite being on a blog operated by Anyang City, was written without historical verification.

The post was reportedly based on materials provided by a local historian, but it drew criticism for being published without proper fact-checking. This led to accusations that Anyang City contributed to glorifying pro-Japanese activities.

The content related to Ahn Sang-ho published on the Anyang City blog was found to severely distort historical facts, such as recording Emperor Gojong's death as 'collapsing from natural causes (cerebral hemorrhage)' or containing false accusations of 'administering poison.' This is interpreted as an attempt to glorify Ahn Sang-ho's actions.

Furthermore, the post also included content that whitewashed Ahn Sang-ho's activities during the Japanese colonial period, portraying him as an independence activist. This was seen as an attempt to manipulate our history, not merely introduce a figure, drawing strong criticism.

As the controversy over the glorification of pro-Japanese collaborator Ahn Sang-ho spread, it was reported that Anyang Mayor Choi Dae-ho, a member of the Democratic Party, personally ordered the post to be made private on August 10. It is rumored that blog managers were severely reprimanded in the process.

This action by Anyang City is analyzed as being decisively influenced by consistent issues raised by civic groups and the media. It appears that continuous criticism and demands for fact-checking ultimately led Anyang City to withdraw its official stance and take action.

Ahn Bu-ho, the son of Ahn Sang-ho, who is embroiled in the pro-Japanese glorification controversy, has also been revealed to have a controversial past. Ahn Bu-ho served as the head of the medical department at Sorokdo Sanatorium from 1949 to 1952.

He later became a professor at Catholic University Medical College and rose to a high position in the medical field, eventually becoming the director of Chung-Ang University Hospital. However, questions are being raised about his actions during his tenure at Sorokdo Sanatorium.

Records show that during Ahn Bu-ho's tenure as head of the medical department, horrific human rights abuses were committed against Hansen's disease patients at Sorokdo Sanatorium. Three doctors, including Director Kim Sang-tae, led the perpetration of inhumane acts, such as performing forced sterilization and hysterectomies on approximately 2,500 Hansen's disease patients.

Despite the fact that medically, Hansen's disease was generally accepted as not being hereditary at the time, these atrocities were committed with the aim of preventing them from having descendants. There are even testimonies that forced sterilization was performed on children, adding to the shock, and some are even raising suspicions of vivisection.

It is pointed out that the large-scale forced surgeries carried out at Sorokdo Sanatorium were too extensive for a single surgeon to handle. This suggests that the cooperation and division of roles among various medical staff were essential during the surgical process.

Based on these circumstances, it is suspected that Ahn Bu-ho, who was the head of the clinical pathology department at the time, may have led the forced surgeries and related experiments on Hansen's disease patients. As the clinical pathology department was responsible for overseeing various tests and research, it is speculated that he was deeply involved in the planning and execution of large-scale medical procedures.