Film Critic Lee Dong-jin Refuses to Apologize Over 'The Assassin(s)' Review Controversy

Movie critic Lee Dong-jin has directly addressed the remarks made in his review of the film The Assassin(s), which was previously set to private on "B tv Lee Dong-jin's Piakia."

Lee first explained on his blog that the production team contacted him regarding social controversies surrounding the film, which led to the video being made private.

He stated that in the review video, he expressed his views by pointing out both the merits and demerits as well as the overall completion of the film, and specifically addressed the controversial remark, "It cannot simply be dismissed as a conspiracy theory."

He explained, "This was in the process of explaining how the film deals with questions that are not readily resolved by the official announcements at the time, including the whereabouts and locations of the bullets fired at the National Theater on August 15, 1974."

He emphasized, "This did not mean that every hypothesis raised by the film is true," adding, "Furthermore, it had nothing to do with the claim that President Park Chung-hee was behind the shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-su."

Stating that The Assassin(s) is a feature film rather than a documentary, he noted, "The same standards as a documentary cannot be applied," and added, "We can thoroughly discuss where a feature film based on historical events should draw the line between fact and fiction."

He explained that The Assassin(s) can be criticized from that perspective and that social debate is necessary, while also adding, "If people are going to debate the film, I hope it is done after watching the entire movie."

He drew a line by stating that his evaluation of the film has nothing to do with his political stance on historical facts, and that he has no intention of retracting his assessment from the review or apologizing for it.

The Assassin(s) is a mystery thriller that tracks the suspicions and figures behind the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-su, who was shot and killed during the Liberation Day ceremony on August 15, 1974.

The film was directed by Hur Jin-ho, who also directed A Normal Family and Forbidden Dream, and stars Yoo Hai-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Minho.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Chang Yu-jin | Graphics by Sumin Lee | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.