Hong Hye-geol (left) and Yeo Yes-ther. [Yonhap]
Hong Hye-geol (left) and Yeo Yes-ther. [Yonhap]

Hong Hye-geol, husband of physician and broadcaster Yeo Yes-ther, has rebuffed online speculation that his wife is of Chinese-Korean descent, releasing a three-generation account of her family history stretching back to her great-grandfather.

On Saturday, Hong posted on his Facebook page, saying he was writing to address "the many comments claiming my wife Yeo Yes-ther is Chinese-Korean."

Hong said Yeo's great-grandfather, Yeo Dong-yeon, was a respected clan elder and patron of Korean national education who was active in the Seongju area of North Gyeongsang Province during the Japanese colonial period. He cited materials held at the Independence Hall of Korea as evidence, noting that Yeo Dong-yeon had supported the Jayang hagwon, among other contributions.

Hong also disclosed the background of Yeo's grandfather, Yeo Sang-won, describing him as "a prominent businessman and journalist in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang region who was active across the Japanese colonial era and the modern history of the Republic of Korea."

He added that Yeo Sang-won served as chairman of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry for 15 years, founded the Daegu Ilbo newspaper, and co-operated a textile business with Lee Byung-chul and others.

Of Yeo's father, Yeo Man-young, Hong wrote that while serving as planning director of the Daegu Ilbo in 1971, he distributed leaflets during a campaign rally in Daegu for presidential candidate Kim Dae-jung, drawing the wrath of President Park Chung-hee. The paper was shut down, Yeo Man-young was imprisoned, and the family — including Yeo Yes-ther — was forcibly expelled to Japan.

The family's business assets were also transferred to Seongeop Gongsa, a state-run asset management body, at the time. Hong added a personal memory of his father-in-law, saying he "called my wife 'Aechu' and doted on her dearly," but died of a chronic illness when Yeo Yes-ther was in her second year of medical school.


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