A South Korean film, The Assassin(s), which dramatises the 1974 attempted assassination of former president Park Chung Hee, has become the subject of a dispute concerning historical accuracy and artistic freedom. The film's lead actor, Yoo Hae Jin, is currently under police protection, and an international film festival has declined demands to withdraw the movie.
Directed by Hur Jin Ho and starring Yoo Hae Jin, Park Hae Il, and Lee Min Ho, the film depicts Mun Se Gwang's shooting of Park during a Liberation Day ceremony in Seoul in 1974. Park survived the shooting, but his wife, Yuk Young Soo, died later that day. The official investigation concluded that Mun, a Korean resident of Japan with links to North Korea, was part of a plot to assassinate Park.
The film introduces three fictional characters who question the official account after noting that six shots were fired but only four bullets were recovered. Police detective Cheol gu, newspaper editor Jae Hwan, and rookie reporter Young Il investigate the missing bullets and consider the possibility that Mun may not have acted alone.
The conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) has led the backlash, arguing that the film casts doubt on an established account of Park's death. Party leader Jang Dong Hyeok described the premise as "absurd" and accused filmmakers of insinuating Park was behind his wife's killing. The Park Chung Hee Presidential Memorial Foundation has demanded an apology from the production company and that cinemas stop showing the film, stating that the theories contradict 1974 investigation and court records.
Filmmakers have stated that the film combines real events and people with fictional characters and situations, clarifying that they do not identify a specific person as being behind the events or present the film's hypotheses as historical facts. Lawmaker Choi Min Hee of the ruling Democratic Party defended the film, asking, "Isn't filmmaking about creating works of fiction based on historical facts?"
The controversy has extended to the actors, with Lee Min Ho's social media receiving criticism and Burger King disabling comments on adverts featuring Yoo Hae Jin. A conservative civic group, New Freedom Solidarity, filed plans for daily protests outside Yoo's home, leading to police deployment and Yoo being placed under protective measures on 5 October.
The film's presence at the Busan International Film Festival was affected, with Lee's scheduled appearance cancelled and the entire film delegation withdrawing due to safety concerns. All 109 PPP lawmakers signed an open letter urging the Singapore International Film Festival to drop The Assassin(s), but the festival refused, citing the film's artistic merit and respect for the filmmakers' creative vision.
Despite the controversy, The Assassin(s) has performed well at the box office, reaching over 2.4 million admissions by 6 October and topping the Korean box office during the National Foundation Day holiday. It has also received a positive reception overseas, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and being invited to festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Paris, and Hawaii.