'Assassins' Director Hur Jin-ho "Exclude Park's Behind-the-Scenes Theory... I'm Also Puzzled by the Current Reaction"

MBC's 'PD Notebook' Features Director Heo Jin-ho to Address Controversies Surrounding 'Assassins'"I find the film-related controversies difficult to accept."Director Heo Jin-ho of the film 'Assassins' directly addresses the historical distortion controversy for the first time. / MBC 'PD Notebook' Capture[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Hyun-jung] Amidst ongoing controversies surrounding the film 'Assassins,' director Heo Jin-ho, who helmed the project, has spoken out.Director Heo Jin-ho appeared on MBC's investigative journalism program 'PD Notebook' on the night of the 27th to address the historical distortion controversy surrounding 'Assassins.' This marks the first time Director Heo has directly addressed the historical distortion allegations related to 'Assassins' since the controversy arose.In the broadcast, Director Heo denied the historical distortion allegations, stating, "We never set up from the beginning that President Park Chung-hee was behind the assassination attempt."He continued, "We started by excluding the premise that President Park Chung-hee knew about this incident and condoned it, or that he planned it himself. We had over 20,000 audience previews before the release, and there were no such reactions or questions during the press screening. So, I am also curious as to why this has become the case," he expressed his frustration.Furthermore, Director Heo detailed the intentions behind the production of 'Assassins.' He explained, "I was in the 5th grade when Yuk Young-soo passed away in 1974. I was also saddened to hear the news. However, when I watched a documentary in 2005, there was a significant gap between the investigation's findings at the time and the reality." He added, "I thought it was an attractive subject to explore through film."He also stated, "It seems there were new facts revealed in the 2005 documentary, and major media outlets and historians raised questions. I maximized those questions to create the film." He concluded, "Therefore, I cannot accept the argument that 'Why are you questioning the 1974 investigation findings instead of following them as they are?'"'Assassins,' released on September 23rd, is a film based on the attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee that occurred on August 15, 1974, at the National Theater in Jangchung-dong, Seoul.The film has been a box office success, drawing 3,374,422 cumulative viewers as of the 27th. However, it has faced historical distortion controversies for allegedly raising conspiracy theories that the attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee was a staged event by Park himself or the South Korean government.Moreover, the controversy extended beyond the film itself, leading to direct protests against the actors. It was also a major agenda item during this year's parliamentary audit, sparking partisan political disputes over Director Heo Jin-ho's summons as a witness and the seizure and search of film-related materials.laugardagr@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Desk | ssent@tf.co.kr]