[Kang Il-hong's Issue Talk] 'Assassins' Controversy Spreads... Actor No-Shows, Screenings Halted

"Seoul Performance D-2" Singer Haru, Fan Concert Sold Out... Speeding Up Expansion into Japan and TaiwanBTS's Power Reconfirmed Worldwide... The 'Class' Shown by Jimin and Jungkook"Why Did It Get So Small?" The Real Reason Behind the Reduced Fan Event Size for Black Pink&TWICE[THE FACT|Reporter Kang Il-hong] This week's hottest entertainment issue is undoubtedly the historical distortion controversy surrounding the movie 'Assassins'. The controversy surrounding 'Assassins', released on the 23rd of last month, has spread beyond the popular culture scene to political and social debates. The controversy has intensified, especially with the opening of the Busan International Film Festival.Initially, director Huh Jin-ho and the cast of 'Assassins' were scheduled to meet audiences at the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival and outdoor stage greetings. However, as the controversy spread, all official schedules were completely canceled. Nevertheless, discussions surrounding 'Assassins' continued among the audience who visited the film festival.Chinese master director Zhang Yimou was also asked about the matter. When asked how to view the boundary between creative freedom and truth in films dealing with historical facts, director Zhang Yimou cautiously stated, "Creation is creation, and it may not be exactly the same as the truth."He added that he had not yet seen the film but had heard about the situation, and that it was difficult to answer in a short time about the relationship between historical truth and creation. Director Jung Ju-ri also expressed her dismay, saying, "I feel so intimidated" by the situation where the controversy extends beyond the film itself to threats.The repercussions of the controversy also extended to the actors. 'Assassins' completely canceled the stage greetings scheduled for the third week of its release this week. The production company stated that the decision was made with the utmost consideration for the safety of the audience.Actor Yoo Hae-jin also did not appear in public. Although he won the Best Actor award at the Buil Film Awards, he did not attend the ceremony, and the production company representative accepted the award on his behalf. Furthermore, the controversy intensified with the suspension of movie screenings in some regions.So, what are the reactions of ordinary viewers who have actually seen the movie? Audience reviews are mixed. While there are positive responses regarding the film's artistic completeness and the actors' performances, there are also voices pointing out discomfort with the content and expression, as it is a work dealing with historical facts.Ultimately, the debate surrounding 'Assassins' goes beyond a simple like or dislike of a movie, extending to questions of how much historical facts can be reinterpreted by film, and how to balance creative freedom with historical responsibility.Attention is focused on what repercussions this controversy will leave in the film industry and how audience reviews will continue in the future."Finally, the first meeting with fans" Anticipation for the first fan concert... Launching overseas expansionSinger Haru's first solo fan concert is just two days away. This concert, where he will meet fans directly in two cities, Seoul and Busan, has already recorded sold-out tickets, proving the immense interest.In particular, starting with the first fan concert, movements to expand the scope of activities beyond domestic activities to overseas markets such as Japan and Taiwan are also accelerating, drawing even more attention.Singer Haru will hold his first solo fan concert under his name on the 10th at 5 PM at the Daehan Hall, Sejong University, Seoul. The concert is titled '2026 Haru First Fan Concert - Today, Haru: Stories Told for the First Time'. A week later, on the 17th, he will meet fans again at the Busan BEXCO Auditorium.The Seoul and Busan concerts are already completely sold out, and the anticipation of fans who have been waiting for the first solo fan concert is reaching its peak two days before the performance. This stage is not just a simple concert. It is a place where Haru's stories, which could not be fully shown on broadcast, will be told to fans for the first time.In addition to live performances of his representative songs, there will be unreleased stages, stories from his trainee days to his debut, and behind-the-scenes stories from backstage. In particular, there is a stage that cannot be missed at this concert. It is the stage for an unreleased new song that will be heard by fans for the first time before its official release. To be precise, it is a remake song.The first stage of the special remake song 'Winter Sonata' OST, which has not yet been officially released as a sound source, is also scheduled. 'Winter Sonata', the best drama that pioneered K-dramas, is an immortal masterpiece that everyone knows when they hear it. Since the recording, it has already garnered keen interest in Southeast Asian countries, including Japan. Above all, this song is considered the core stage of this concert as it will be the first song to be performed for the fans.Haru also expressed his intention, "I have always greeted fans with songs on stage, but this time I wanted to tell my story from beginning to end." This is considered the core stage of this concert, signifying the creation of the first moment with the fans. However, the reason why Haru's first fan concert is drawing attention is not only due to the concert itself.Recently, it is known that Taiwanese promoters visited Korea, followed by Japanese entertainment investment officials. In particular, interest is growing as Japanese entertainment industry investment officials are expected to visit the fan concert venue in person to present specific directions for Haru's overseas expansion.Above all, while preparing for the first fan concert, movements to expand the next stage both domestically and internationally are also gaining momentum. Haru's first fan concert, starting in Seoul and continuing to Busan, and his next move could extend beyond Korea to Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, drawing attention.Singer Haru, who is telling his story in front of fans for the first time since his debut, will be the focus of fans' attention on the first scene that will unfold on October 10th at Sejong University's Daehan Hall.From 'PERU LOVES JIMIN' to Platinum in the UK... Power ReconfirmedOne of this week's big issues is BTS, whose global influence continues to expand. BTS is currently on their South American tour, and fans' interest in the members is growing as much as the group's tour fervor.First, ahead of Jimin's first visit to Peru, local fans' birthday celebration projects are unfolding on a massive scale. BTS will hold world tour concerts at the San Marcos Stadium in Lima, Peru, on the 7th, 9th, and 10th local time. This is the first time BTS will perform in Peru since their debut in 2013.In particular, this concert is of even greater interest to local fans as it marks Jimin's first visit to Peru and his upcoming birthday on the 13th. LED advertisements celebrating Jimin's birthday have already begun in various parts of Lima, with wrapping trains decorated with photos and messages, large billboards, and street lamp banners appearing.During the concert period, LED trucks displaying videos of Jimin will be operated, and birthday celebration banners using paragliders will also appear in the sky. Notably, on the 9th, as many as 350 drones will be mobilized to adorn the night sky of the Costa Verde coast with images symbolizing Jimin.On the 10th, the final concert, an event is planned where 40,000 fans will sing together while holding birthday celebration slogans. Meanwhile, Jungkook's solo song 'Seven' has set another record in the UK music market.'Seven' has sold over 600,000 copies in the UK and received Platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the single category. Following the Gold certification received after its release in 2023, it has now reached Platinum.It debuted at number 3 on the UK Official Singles Chart and remained on the chart for 14 weeks, and debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It has also continued its global influence with over 3.1 billion cumulative streams on Spotify.In this way, on one hand, Peruvian fans are making the entire city buzz to welcome Jimin, and on the other hand, Jungkook is steadily accumulating records in the global music market, including the UK, as a solo artist.In addition, with the recent controversy surrounding the careless remarks and actions of some players on the Asian Games men's football national team escalating into a debate over the abolition of military service exemptions, the presence of BTS, whose members have all completed their military service, is being newly highlighted. Of course, discussions about the military service system and the evaluation of contributions to the popular culture scene are separate matters, but the fact that all members of BTS have fulfilled their military obligations while enjoying global popularity is once again drawing attention.BTS, who have responded with music on the global stage, sincerity to their fans, and responsibility for their duties, JIMIN and JUNG KOOK's latest news once again demonstrate BTS's ongoing global presence.Blackpink 40 people · TWICE 750 people... What happened at the global group's fan event?These are representative K-pop girl groups with global fandoms. Black Pink and TWICE, but for both groups celebrating their debut anniversaries this year, fans are expressing common disappointment. The reason is the 'scale of the meeting with fans'.First, TWICE. TWICE will hold a fan party on the 17th to celebrate their 11th debut anniversary. However, it will be held three times a day, with 250 people per session, for a total of 750 people. Last year, for their 10th anniversary, they held a fan meeting that could accommodate about 6,500 people, and even then, there were discussions that the venue was too small for the size of the fandom. But this year, the scale has actually decreased significantly.It was even more so for Black Pink. Only 40 fans were invited to the 10th-anniversary event in August. The event announcement came out only two days in advance, and it was not clear whether the full group would attend at first.From the fans' perspective, it's natural to have questions. Why do teams that fill stadiums on world tours meet only a small number of fans on their debut anniversary? The biggest reason cited is that the 'structure of full group activities' has changed for both groups compared to the past.For Black Pink, members are pursuing individual activities at their respective agencies. TWICE is also entering a phase of balancing group and individual activities as members' individual activities have become more active. In other words, it has become much more difficult to align the schedules of nine or four members as before.Another important factor is the analysis that the nature of debut anniversary events itself has changed. Large-scale concerts can be planned considering ticket sales, tour schedules, and revenue structures, but debut anniversary events are relatively symbolic and event-oriented.Therefore, it is possible that they chose small-scale invitation events or special fan events. In fact, not all long-running groups choose small events.Seventeen met about 58,000 fans over two days at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium this year to celebrate their 11th anniversary, and BTS met 4,000 fans directly during their 11th debut anniversary. Ultimately, what fans are disappointed about is not just 'how many people were admitted'. This is because the debut anniversary is a special day for fans as well.Although the entertainment industry is strictly driven by business logic on a daily basis, the debut anniversary is the day when the sentiment of "We were able to come this far thanks to the fans" can be most directly expressed.That's why fans feel disappointed when global superstars who fill stadiums meet only 40 or 750 fans on their debut anniversary.Ultimately, the core of this controversy is not that the fandom has shrunk, but that the way top stars and fans meet is changing. And how K-pop's representative long-running groups will maintain their distance from fans in this era of 'together yet apart' will also be an important task going forward.eel@tf.co.kr