Park Keun-ryung, former chairwoman of the Yuk Young Foundation. [Yonhap]
Park Keun-ryung, former chairwoman of the Yuk Young Foundation. [Yonhap]

Park Keun-ryung, the younger daughter of late President Park Chung-hee and former chairwoman of the Yuk Young Foundation, criticized the film "Assassins" on Tuesday, saying people would interpret the title as referring to the presidential security service or her father. "Creative freedom comes with responsibility and obligation," she said. She also urged the public to refrain from directing excessive criticism and protests at the cast.

In an interview with Channel A, Park questioned the film's title. "Assassins? What assassins?" she said, adding that because the events depicted are grounded in historical fact, the film effectively makes gunman Moon Se-gwang and her father out to be co-conspirators.

She then noted that Moon was executed for the shooting death of first lady Yuk Young-soo. "Can you just carry out an execution like that?" she said. "Children will watch this film too — what kind of message does that send?"

Park also criticized the controversy as an act that wounds those who mourned at Yuk's state funeral.

"As a bereaved family member, we are in pain too," she said. "Two million people packed Gwanghwamun, weeping — isn't this like driving a nail into the hearts of every one of them?"

She nonetheless urged restraint toward the actors involved in the film.

"I am truly grateful for their concern, but they are only performers," Park said. "I hope people will look carefully at who produced this work and focus their attention there, rather than getting caught up in unnecessary lawsuits."


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com