The makers of South Korean drama The Assassin(s) are under fire over claims of historical inaccuracies, leading the country’s culture minister and local film bodies to speak out in support of the cast and crew.
The film revisits the 1974 assassination attempt on then Korean president Park Chung-hee, which led to the death of first lady Yuk Young-soo. An official investigation concluded that Mun Se-gwang, a Korean resident of Japan, acted alone under instructions linked to North Korea. However, the film suggests intelligence officials or the president himself might have been involved in her death.
Lawmakers from the conservative opposition People Power Party have condemned the feature, with one party member filing a police complaint accusing the director, writer and producers of defamation.
A conservative activist group has begun a month-long protest in front of the home of lead actor Yoo Hae-jin, calling for the film to be pulled from theatres and demanding an apology from the cast and producers.
Korean culture minister Chae Hwi-young has since condemned the protests, asking police to protect the film’s cast and crew, and both the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK) and Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) have released statements of support.
“Exposing the personal details and family relationships of individuals who participated in a project, or exerting pressure on their normal activities, goes far beyond legitimate criticism and can never be justified,” said a PGK statement.
“Creators can be criticised for their work, but that criticism must not lead to the collapse of the creator’s personal life and livelihood,” said a DGK statement.
Directed by Hur Jin-ho, the film received its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, where it played in Gala Presentations and was named runner-up for the People’s Choice Award.
It was released locally by Hive Media Corp on September 23, leading the Chuseok holiday weekend, and continues to top the box office with takings of $16.3m from more than 2.2 million admissions to date.
The director and stars of the film were due to make appearances at the upcoming Busan International Film Festival but all have now been cancelled as a result of the controversy. Hive Media Corp released a statement to say the team will not attend BIFF “to ensure the security of our cast, crew, audiences, and theatre staff”.
Director Hur was due to attend the opening ceremony on Tuesday (October 6) alongside actors Yoo and Lee Min-ho, while the filmmaker and actor Park Hae-il were set to introduce The Assassin(s) at an outdoor event the following day.
Lee was also set to take part in Busan’s Actors’ House programme, in which actors share stories about their career with an assembled audience, but this has also been pulled.
The film’s production team has dismissed allegations that they set out to distort history in what many deem to be a politically motivated attack.
The film has been set as the opening film of the 37th Singapore International Film Festival, with Hur due to attend alongside cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon on October 21.
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