Actor Ha Young's 'pro-Japanese descendant' controversy draws comparisons to fellow actor Noh Yoon-seo

Amid the spreading controversy over actor Ha Young's alleged descent from a pro-Japanese collaborator, some online users have begun criticizing her painting skills by comparing her work to that of fellow actor Noh Yoon-seo, who graduated from the same Western painting program at Ewha Womans University.

Recently, a painting Ha Young had showcased on the KBS2 program "Pyeonstorang," a cooking variety show, resurfaced online and drew renewed attention.

Ha Young graduated from arts middle and high schools before completing her degree in Western painting at Ewha Womans University, then went on to study fine arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

On the program, she said she had "majored in art for more than 10 years" and introduced several works displayed throughout her home.

Ha Young's paintings feature loosely rendered forms, with dripping paint and rough brushwork emphasizing color and texture.

Her work drew little attention when the episode originally aired, but the recent controversy over her great-grandfather has brought her artistic ability under scrutiny as well.

Some online users were harsh in their assessment of her distinctive style, with comments such as "Is this really the work of someone who studied Western painting at Ewha?" and "It looks like something that won a prize at an elementary school regional competition."

Comparisons were also drawn to the work of Noh Yoon-seo, who studied in the same Western painting program at Ewha Womans University.

Noh's paintings, which depict facial expressions, skin texture and hair in fine detail, have long drawn praise from online communities. Comments such as "Are they really from the same school and the same major?" and "There is a clear difference in the quality of their work" began circulating.

However, some noted that directly comparing Noh's figurative work with Ha Young's abstract paintings is an oversimplification, pointing out that realistic rendering and abstract expression cannot fairly be judged by the same standard.