South Korea’s Directors Guild Defends ‘The Assassin(s)’ Amid Political Backlash

SEOUL — The Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) has publicly supported the production team behind the thriller “The Assassin(s),” following a wave of political and social hostility directed at the filmmakers. The guild stated that the controversy has escalated beyond artistic criticism into personal attacks that threaten the livelihoods of those involved.

Released on September 23, the film examines the 1974 assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo during Liberation Day celebrations at the National Theater. Directed by Hur Jin-ho and produced by Hive Media Corp, the movie stars Yoo Hae-jin as a police inspector, Park Hae-il as a newspaper executive, and Lee Min-ho as a rookie journalist.

Conservative politicians and online critics have accused the film of historical distortion. While the official inquiry into the real-life event attributed the killing to Mun Se-gwang acting on instructions from Pyongyang and the pro-North Korean Chongryon association, Hur’s narrative leaves the culprit ambiguous. Detractors argue that the plural title suggests a second conspirator, implicitly pointing toward former President Park Chung-hee or his administration.

Despite the uproar, the film remains South Korea’s box office leader. It surpassed one million admissions in its first four days and earned KRW4.07 billion ($3 million) over the October 2–4 weekend. Its cumulative gross stands at KRW21.9 billion ($16.3 million) with 2.23 million ticket sales.

In a recent statement, the DGK acknowledged that films naturally attract both praise and harsh reviews but drew a line at the current level of aggression. “What we are facing now is not criticism or condemnation of a film, but attacks on individuals that have crossed the line,” the guild said. It emphasized that while creators can be questioned, such scrutiny must not destroy their personal lives or professional futures.

The backlash has extended to the cast and crew. Rating platforms have seen coordinated one-star campaigns, and social media accounts belonging to actors Kim Go-eun and Lee Young-ae were flooded with abusive messages. Both actresses had publicly endorsed the film, as did critic Lee Dong-jin. Additionally, a popular YouTube reviewer with over 4 million subscribers withdrew a video discussing the movie.

Legal pressures are also mounting. Lee Jong-bae, a former city councilor for the People Power Party, filed a defamation complaint with Seoul police against Hur, Hive Media CEO Kim Won-kuk, and writers Kwon Ki-jun and Lee Ji-min. The complaint alleges that the film’s open-ended narrative defames specific individuals. Efforts by PPP lawmakers to summon Hur for testimony during a parliamentary audit were blocked by the Democratic Party on grounds of creative freedom.

Filmmaker Park Chan-wook defended the project during a September 26 audience Q&A, calling it “smartly conceived.” In response to the growing tension, the producers issued a statement on September 28 clarifying that the film presents hypotheses and dramatic settings rather than historical facts, and no specific individual is identified as being behind the incident.

Looking ahead, “The Assassin(s)” is scheduled to premiere at the 37th Singapore International Film Festival on October 21, with Hur and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon expected to attend. The festival runs through November 1.

The DGK concluded its statement by reaffirming its commitment to artistic liberty. “Cinema must carry on as a place where different ideas and voices meet, even when it stirs up debate,” the guild said. “If that freedom disappears, it becomes hard for new films and new stories to be born.”