[TF Issue] Review Deletions, Malicious Comment Attacks... 'Assassins', Controversy's Repercussions Continue

Allegations of historical distortion and Chinese capital, followed by a police complaintAmidst continuous controversy, it regains the No. 1 spot at the box office, drawing attention.The film "Assassination(s)" is a work that uses the assassination of Madam Yuk Young-soo during the 1974 Liberation Day ceremony as its motif, filling the gaps in official records with cinematic imagination and presenting the story as a suspense genre. The photo shows actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho (from left) posing at the press preview and conference for the film "Assassination(s)" held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on September 8. / Reporter Seo Ye-won[THE FACT|Reporter Park Ji-yoon] The film "Assassination(s)," which became the winner of the Chuseok holiday box office, is at the center of attention due to various negative controversies, including historical distortion and allegations of Chinese capital. As these controversies affect not only the cast but also related content, spreading widely, attention is focused on whether the film can continue its box office success despite the noise."Assassination(s)" (directed by Hur Jin-ho), released on the 23rd, is a mystery thriller that traces the suspicions and masterminds behind the shocking assassination of the First Lady on August 15, 1974, adding cinematic imagination to the remaining records and unresolved questions to this day.The film was directed by Hur Jin-ho, who has delicately explored characters and events through films like "The Last Princess" and "Christmas in August," and raised expectations with the collaboration of Yoo Hae-jin, the "No. 1 in cumulative audience for Korean films," Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho.Furthermore, it garnered significant attention from the production stage as it was motivated by the assassination of Madam Yuk Young-soo during the 1974 Liberation Day ceremony, an event that had never been covered in Korean cinema before. The incident was investigated as Moon Se-gwang, backed by North Korea and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chochongryon), attempted to assassinate former President Park Chung-hee but failed, and Madam Yuk Young-soo was fatally shot in the process. Moon Se-gwang, arrested at the scene, was sentenced to death.Director Hur, who dealt with this, illuminated the period from nine days before the incident to 90 days after, filling the gaps in official records with cinematic imagination and presenting the story as a suspense genre. Rather than pointing to a specific individual as the mastermind behind the incident, the film delves into the power dynamics and atmosphere of Korean society at the time through the police and reporters who investigate the questions and masterminds behind the officially known events.Some viewers who watched the film raised suspicions of historical distortion regarding scenes where some characters suggest the possibility of former President Park Chung-hee's side or the Central Intelligence Agency's involvement in the incident, and politicians also voiced their opinions to support these views. / Hive Media Corp.However, some viewers who watched the film raised suspicions of historical distortion regarding scenes where some characters suggest the possibility of former President Park Chung-hee's side or the Central Intelligence Agency's involvement in the incident. In addition, Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, proposed a boycott, and the Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Foundation, the Yuk Young-soo Memorial Foundation, Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party, and broadcaster Hong Hye-geol publicly voiced their support with statements such as "historical distortion" and "insult to the deceased."Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party also mentioned reports that Hive Media Corp. selected the consortium of Mirae Asset Securities PE and CLSA Capital Partners Korea as the preferred bidder and pursued investment of 40 billion won in 2023. He added, "This means it is directly linked to Chinese capital. While it is practically disguised as investment, we must also consider the possibility of Chinese backstage manipulation."Furthermore, Lee Jong-bae, former Seoul City Council member of the People Power Party, filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against director Hur Jin-ho and the production team for defamation of fact under the Criminal Act. He pointed out that the film's title, "Assassination(s)" (plural), implies the possibility of other assassins besides Moon Se-gwang, stating, "It makes the audience perceive that former President Park Chung-hee was behind the assassination or involved in the crime."As controversies surrounding "Assassination(s)" continued through various online communities and some media outlets, the production company Hive Media Corp. released an official statement.Regarding the allegations of historical distortion, they stated, "This is a fictional film that reconstructs a historical event that occurred in 1974 based on various records related to the incident at the time, with added cinematic imagination. The film does not designate any specific individual as the mastermind behind the incident, nor does it present hypotheses and dramatic settings within the film as historical facts."They also denied the allegations of Chinese capital. The production company stated, "There is absolutely no inflow of Chinese capital into our company or in the production and investment process of 'Assassination(s).' 'Assassination(s)' is a work independently planned and produced with domestic capital under the leadership of domestic production staff and creators. While we respect criticism and diverse opinions towards the film, we hope that information that deviates from the facts will not be amplified and reproduced, as matters concerning investment and production capital are objectively verifiable facts.""Assassination(s)," released on the 23rd, surpassed 1 million cumulative viewers in just four days of its release, becoming the winner of the Chuseok holiday box office. However, attention is focused on how the various controversies will affect its future box office performance. / Hive Media Corp.However, the controversies that have erupted have not subsided easily, and malicious comments are pouring in not only for the film "Assassination(s)" itself but also for the actors who appeared in it, as well as actors who left recommendation messages such as Lee Young-ae, Kim Go-eun, and Park Byung-eun.Yoo Hae-jin, who plays the protagonist Cheol-gu, does not operate a personal social media account, so his commercial videos became targets. Eventually, Burger King blocked comments on the Yoo Hae-jin advertisement video uploaded to its official YouTube channel. Although no clear reason was given, it is known that some netizens demanded Burger King to terminate Yoo Hae-jin's contract, citing his appearance in "Assassination(s)," indicating that the repercussions of the controversy have extended to the advertising industry.Various content related to "Assassination(s)" also did not escape the impact of the controversy. The review video of "Assassination(s)" uploaded to the YouTube channel "Btv Lee Dong-jin's Fire-akia" received thousands of critical comments such as "The movie should be suspended" and "You are the same," and the production team announced, "Due to the ongoing debate surrounding the film, the review video has been made private." The YouTube channel "Jimoovi," with 4.18 million subscribers, also deleted related videos without specifying a reason.Meanwhile, "Assassination(s)," which had a pleasant start at the box office, attracting 134,460 viewers on its opening day, continued its box office run by surpassing 1 million viewers in four days. However, the film seemed to suffer a blow to its box office performance when it lost the No. 1 spot to "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" (directed by Choi Gook-hee) on the 28th, but it regained the top spot in just one day, showing a resilient box office performance.There are also opinions that freedom of creation should be respected, as numerous films dealing with historical events have met the public. While negative views and various controversies surrounding "Assassination(s)" continue, these disturbances may also act as elements that stimulate the curiosity of potential viewers. It remains to be seen whether this situation will become a brake on its box office success or rather a spark that ignites greater interest.[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr