▲ Promotional material for the film "The Assassins" displayed at a movie theater in Seoul
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young has called for strict law enforcement regarding protests by some conservative groups targeting the actors of the film "The Assassins".
Minister Choi stated via social media today (October 5), "I have strongly requested relevant authorities, including the National Police Agency, to take safety measures for film officials and cast members, and to strictly enforce the law against illegal acts such as threats and intimidation in front of their residences."
He added, "While critiques of a film are free, threatening the personal safety of creators destroys democracy," writing that "if criticism of a film crosses the line to the point where people gather in front of an actor's home to protest, infringe upon individual daily lives, and threaten personal safety, this is something that can never be tolerated."
Drawing a line against demands to halt the screening of "The Assassins," Minister Choi remarked, "Demanding that the government intervene beforehand or use administrative power to judge a work simply because you do not like its content is a dangerous demand to return to the era of 'prior censorship' forbidden by the Constitution."
He added, "If there are defamation or legal issues with a work, they should be brought to the judiciary for strict judgment through post-screening civil lawsuits or criminal procedures."
Released on September 23, "The Assassins" is a work dealing with the 1974 attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee and the fatal shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-su, and controversy over historical distortion has emerged due to scenes putting forward the hypothesis that upper-level figures in the Central Intelligence Agency may have been behind it.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.