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

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations has criticized "The Assassin(s)," a film depicting the assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee that resulted in the death of first lady Yuk Young-soo, as controversy over historical distortion surrounding the movie continues to grow.

The federation, known by its Korean acronym Gyochong, issued a statement Tuesday saying it has "serious concerns" that the film "blurs the line between confirmed facts, unverified allegations and cinematic imagination while dealing with real historical events and actual figures, potentially instilling a distorted sense of history in young viewers," Yonhap reported.

"Freedom of creative expression must be respected, but the educational impact on students cannot be brushed aside with the phrase 'it's just a movie,'" the federation said. "We must not take lightly the possibility that students — who are still developing their historical background knowledge and critical judgment — may accept the film's hypotheses and dramatic settings as actual history."

The federation also referenced an incident in which members of the Paejae High School baseball team in Seoul were disciplined after chanting slogans denigrating the May 18 pro-democracy movement during a game against Gwangju Ilgo last June. "If we emphasized correct historical awareness and responsibility in the conduct of the Paejae students, the same principle should apply to historical portrayals in popular culture that students are exposed to," it said.

On the recent controversy over some schools organizing group outings to see the film, the federation said that since group movie screenings constitute an educational activity, "prior review of the work, guidance distinguishing historical fact from fiction, and post-screening discussions should accompany any such outing, while still respecting students' choices."

Filmmakers: 'No character is identified as the mastermind — this is not a politically motivated film'

Meanwhile, the filmmakers released a statement on Sept. 28 saying they had "conducted extensive research into public records, documents, books and documentaries, and built a single story by combining real events and figures as motifs with fictional characters and situations." They added that "nowhere in the film is any specific individual identified as the mastermind behind the incident, nor are the film's hypotheses and dramatic settings presented as historical fact," Yonhap reported at the time.

"This is not a film made to newly establish a particular historical conclusion or to deny or distort existing facts," the filmmakers said. "We wish to make clear that the film was not made with any specific political purpose or intent beyond its own creative vision. We ask that the work be viewed solely as a product of artistic creation."

"The Assassin(s)," which opened Sept. 23, is based on the real-life incident of Aug. 15, 1974, in which Mun Se-gwang, a second-generation Korean Japanese, fired a gun in an attempt to assassinate President Park Chung-hee, resulting in the death of first lady Yuk Young-soo.

While the film does not explicitly identify who was behind the incident, it includes scenes in which some characters raise the hypothesis that figures close to President Park or the Central Intelligence Agency may have planned the attack — drawing accusations of historical distortion from the People Power Party and others.


yul@heraldcorp.com