Actor Ryu Hye-young. [Yonhap]
Actor Ryu Hye-young. [Yonhap]

The controversy over historical distortion in the film "The Assassin" has spilled over onto the social media account of cast member Ryu Hye-young.

Ryu recently posted on social media, writing "The Assassin is so fun too," alongside several photos.

The photos showed Ryu at the VIP preview of the film.

Although the post was a promotional message from an actor in the film, the comments section quickly filled with criticism directed at the movie's content.

Some users left comments such as "unfollowing," "boycott the distortionists," "down with communism," "won't watch it" and "to think all the actors I loved are leftists."

A poster for "The Assassin" displayed at a movie theater in Seoul. [Yonhap]
A poster for "The Assassin" displayed at a movie theater in Seoul. [Yonhap]

"The Assassin" is inspired by the 1974 shooting of first lady Yuk Young-soo. Ryu plays Yun-hee, a society reporter at the fictional Dongseong Ilbo newspaper.

Since its opening, some critics have accused the film of presenting a particular hypothesis as fact. As the controversy grew, the production team issued a statement saying, "As a work based on a historical event and real figures, various interpretations and criticisms are possible, and the production team respects such views. This film was not made with any specific political intent."

Despite the controversy, the film has performed strongly at the box office. It debuted at No. 1 on its opening day and surpassed 1 million admissions within four days of release.


choigo@heraldcorp.com