'The Assassin' nears 3 million admissions as controversy deepens

Film draws 160,976 viewers on Hangul Day; cumulative audience reaches 2,745,841

More than 20 filmmakers hold emergency press conference in Busan

Korean Film Council audit set for Monday; injunction under review

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

"The Assassin," the film at the center of a historical-distortion controversy, held the top spot at the box office on the first day of the Hangul Day holiday weekend and is closing in on 3 million total admissions.

According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing system, the film drew 160,976 viewers on Friday — Hangul Day — to claim the No. 1 position. Its cumulative audience stands at 2,745,841, leaving roughly 254,000 tickets to go before it crosses the 3 million mark.

Directed by Heo Jin-ho and released on Sept. 23, "The Assassin" is based on the shooting of first lady Yuk Young-soo during a Liberation Day ceremony on Aug. 15, 1974. The film follows detectives and journalists tracing those behind the attack and stars Yoo Hae-jin and Park Hae-il.

Authorities at the time concluded that Moon Se-gwang, acting alone under orders from North Korea and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, was responsible. The film, however, ends without identifying a mastermind. Criticism of historical distortion erupted after some scenes and lines were interpreted as hinting at possible involvement by former President Park Chung-hee or the Central Intelligence Agency.

Politicians moved quickly. The People Power Party called the film "historical distortion that cannot be justified as freedom of expression" and demanded an apology from the production team and a halt to screenings. The Democratic Party of Korea pushed back, calling it a political attack. Former Seoul city council member Lee Jong-bae filed a defamation complaint against director Heo and the production team on Sept. 29; the case was assigned to the Jongno Police Precinct in Seoul.

The production team issued a statement on Sept. 28 saying the film "was not made to deny or distort established facts," adding that it does not identify any specific individual as the person behind the attack.

Amid the uproar, the production team canceled all stage-greeting events and its appearances at the Busan International Film Festival. On Sunday, a conservative group held a rally outside actor Yoo Hae-jin's home and announced a boycott campaign targeting companies for which he serves as a brand ambassador. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young asked police the following day to take safety measures for the actor and other people connected to the film. Naver said it had detected signs of artificial manipulation in the film's viewer reviews and referred the matter to police for investigation.

Promotional material for "The Assassin" at a movie theater in Seoul. [Yonhap]

The controversy has reached beyond South Korea's borders. The People Power Party sent a letter to the Singapore International Film Festival on Tuesday, signed by all 109 of its Assembly members, asking the festival to rescind its selection of "The Assassin" as the opening film. The festival replied the following day that it would "respect the creative vision of the filmmakers" and proceed with the screening as planned. The festival opens Oct. 21.

The film also became a flashpoint at the National Assembly's national audit. At Wednesday's audit of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, the People Power Party called for director Heo and the production company's chief to be summoned as a witness and reference person. Committee Chair Lee Jae-jeong rejected the request, saying filmmakers cannot be called before the Assembly to account for the content of their work. Minister Choi also weighed in, saying "there must be no restrictions on imagination and creativity."

Voices from the film industry were also heard at the ongoing Busan International Film Festival. More than 20 filmmakers — including directors Jeong Ji-young and Lee Myung-se — held an emergency press conference Thursday morning on the beach in front of Haeundae in Busan, urging that "film not be used as a tool of political strife." Director Jeong said that while film cannot substitute for history, it is an artist's duty to "pose questions about the riddles history has left behind."

Other filmmakers attending the festival also shared their views. Zhang Yimou, the Chinese director serving as jury president for the competition section, said at a press conference Wednesday that he had not yet seen the film, but noted that historical truth can itself be a subject of debate — and that this is part of what makes cinema compelling. Jury member and director Jeong Ju-ri said the situation left her feeling "quite intimidated."

The Busan International Film Festival itself has said little. The festival issued only a notice that events related to "The Assassin" had been canceled, offering no position on the controversy itself. At the opening-film press conference on Tuesday, a question about the dispute was directed at director Kim Jong-kwan; a festival programmer asked for understanding, saying the occasion was meant to focus on the opening film, and Kim's answer was never heard.

The controversy shows no sign of abating. The Korean Film Council's national audit is scheduled for Monday. The Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Foundation is reviewing whether to seek an injunction to halt screenings.

Whether "The Assassin" reaches 3 million admissions this weekend may hinge on competition from "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island." The Japanese animated film came in second with 152,104 viewers — just 8,872 behind the top film — and surpassed 1 million cumulative admissions within 10 days of its opening. Third place went to "Tajja: Song of Beelzebub" with 68,740 viewers, followed by "Odyssey" in fourth with 37,332 and "Buhwalmam: The Red" in fifth with 20,209.

The weekend rankings remain uncertain. As of 8 a.m. Saturday, "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" led advance ticket sales with 102,779 reservations, while "The Assassin" had 60,559.

shee@heraldcorp.com