As the film "The Assassin(s)" faces allegations of historical distortion alongside newly raised suspicions of Chinese capital investment, the production company has stepped forward to draw the line.
On September 29, Hive Media Corp, the production company behind "The Assassin(s)," released an official statement, announcing, "As claims regarding the alleged 'inflow of Chinese capital' involving our company and the film 'The Assassin(s)' have recently been spreading across online communities and select media outlets, we are providing the exact facts." They completely denied the suspicions, stating, "There has been absolutely no inflow of Chinese capital into the production or investment process of our company and the film 'The Assassin(s).'" According to the production company, "The Assassin(s)" is a project led by a domestic production crew and creators, independently planned and produced based purely on domestic capital.
Hive Media Corp emphasized, "We are well aware that various opinions and concerns continue to be raised surrounding the project. We respect criticisms and diverse perspectives regarding the film." However, they stressed, "Matters regarding investment and production capital are objectively verifiable facts," adding, "We hope that false information will no longer be magnified or reproduced."
Previously, People Power Party Representative Joo Jin-woo raised suspicions of Chinese capital investment, citing past investment pursuit records involving a consortium that included a Chinese-affiliated financial firm in connection with the production company of "The Assassin(s)."
The controversy surrounding "The Assassin(s)" initially erupted over its historical depiction. The film uses the August 15, 1974 assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo as a motif, depicting a story tracing the suspicions and behind-the-scenes forces surrounding the incident. It stars Yoo Hai-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Minho, and is directed by Director Hur Jin-ho. While the film does not directly identify the mastermind behind the incident, it presents a hypothesis through certain characters and dramatic setups that President Park Chung-hee's side or the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) at the time may have been involved, prompting criticism of historical distortion from some quarters, including the People Power Party and the Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Foundation.
The criticism directed at "The Assassin(s)" also spilled over into actors' supportive messages. On September 23, the film's release date, the team behind "The Assassin(s)" revealed handwritten messages of support from Lee Jung-jae, Director Lee Joon-ik, Kim Goeun, Jang Dong-gun, Lee Young-ae, PARK JIHOON, Director Kang Yoon-sung, screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, Uhm Jung-hwa, Lee Sang Yi, Kim Sung-kyun, Im Soo-jung, and others. Lee Young-ae wrote, "I thoroughly enjoyed it—thrilling and deeply moving. Director Hur Jin-ho is the best!!" while Kim Goeun wrote, "It made me feel so grateful for the present. Please make sure to watch and feel it together!"
Following this, some online commenters left remarks on Lee Young-ae and Kim Goeun's social media accounts, criticizing them as thoughtless and posting comments such as "I will boycott your projects and advertised products." Amid this situation, it was confirmed on September 29 that a video related to "The Assassin(s)" was deleted from the channel of film YouTuber G Movie, who boasts 4.17 million subscribers. G Movie has not issued any separate statement regarding the reason for the removal.
Meanwhile, regarding the historical distortion criticism, the production company emphasized, "Nowhere in the film is a specific individual defined as the mastermind behind the incident, nor are hypotheses and dramatic setups presented as historical facts," adding, "It is not a film produced with any specific political agenda." Director Hur Jin-ho previously explained at a press and distributor preview that the film does not aim to uncover the ultimate truth or the mastermind behind the incident, but rather sought to portray the people and emotions of those who lived through that era as they navigated the events.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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