Shouting match erupts at education audit over film 'Assassins'

PPP lawmaker Jeong Seong-guk raises historical distortion concerns, calls on Education Ministry to act

Choi Kyo-jin says distinguishing fact from fiction is needed, but ministry intervention has limits

Exchange turns heated as Kang Gyeong-suk pushes back, demanding apology

Democratic Party's Baek Seung-a calls for critical-thinking education over censorship

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin submits an oath to committee chair Rep. Kim Hee-jeong of the People Power Party at the National Assembly's Education Committee national audit of the Ministry of Education and the National Education Commission on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Lawmakers from rival parties traded heated words at the Education Ministry's national audit Wednesday over whether the film "Assassins" distorts historical facts and whether schools should allow students to attend group screenings.

The People Power Party argued the film could instill a distorted view of history in students and demanded the ministry take action, while the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party warned against film censorship and said students need education that builds critical thinking.

People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Seong-guk raised the issue at the National Assembly Education Committee audit, saying "Assassins" portrays the 1974 assassination attempt by Moon Se-gwang as a possible staged plot by former President Park Chung-hee and the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, and asked Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin for her position.

When Jeong asked whether it was dangerous for students and the public to be left with the impression that the film's depiction was true, Choi said works blending historical fact with fiction could genuinely confuse students. "I personally think it would be necessary to help them distinguish between fact and fiction," she said.

Jeong also cited a case in which a high school in Ulsan had organized a group screening by student vote before canceling it, saying schools should exercise caution in deciding whether to attend. He also asked the minister to weigh in on a statement by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations expressing concern that the film could give young people a distorted understanding of history.

Choi said the concern was understandable, but added that the ministry could not realistically intervene in every such case.

A promotional display for "Assassins" at a movie theater in Seoul. [Yonhap]

Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Kang Gyeong-suk pushed back during a procedural motion, saying the National Assembly was not a film censorship board. "The PPP is mobilizing its full party machinery over a single film," she said. The exchange grew loud, with Democratic Party Rep. Ko Min-jeong and Kang trading sharp words with Jeong.

Jeong demanded an apology from Kang for singling him out by name, saying he hoped she would at least express regret. Kang rebuffed the demand, saying she had not interrupted him and had simply stated her own views through a procedural motion.

Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Seung-a joined the pushback, citing remarks People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok made last year after watching "The Birth of Korea 2" — that "we should respect diverse perspectives on history" and that "history is something to be scrutinized, not silenced."

"If students watch 'Assassins,' I hope they receive an education that builds the critical thinking to judge what is fact and what is fictional imagination," Baek said. "I also hope the film gives them a reason to take an interest in that era and study it."

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