Amid growing controversy over historical distortion surrounding the movie 'The Assassins', which deals with the shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-su, the film industry has appealed for an end to malicious criticism directed at creators, including actors and production staff.

The film tells the story of people pursuing the truth behind the shooting of the first lady by adding imagination to a real-life event, with characters in the story even advancing a hypothesis that the Central Intelligence Agency may have been behind it.

In response, political circles including the People Power Party criticized the movie for distorting historical facts with conspiracy theories suggesting former President Park Chung-hee planned the assassination. The Park Chung Hee Presidential Memorial Foundation and the Yuk Young-su Memorial Foundation demanded that the film's screening be suspended.

Protest comments have been posted on promotional videos featuring starring actors, and malicious comments continue to flood the social media accounts of not only the cast members but also actors who left recommendation reviews for the movie.

A conservative civic group even announced plans to hold a rally in front of a starring actor's home.

Consequently, the production company Hive Media Corp canceled schedules such as attending the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival and stage greetings, citing the safety of participants.

Canceling a public screening of 'The Assassins' scheduled for October 5, the Busan Film Commission explained that the decision was made after considering the overall situation and does not imply judgment or support for the content of the work or any specific stance surrounding it.

The production team stated, "This is not a movie produced to newly establish a specific historical conclusion or to deny and distort existing facts," adding, "We ask that you view the work purely as a product of creation."

In addition, director Hur Jin-ho stated in various interviews that he did not presuppose former President Park Chung-hee as being behind the incident.

The Producers Guild of Korea (PGK) stated, "We express serious concern as the current debate is going beyond criticism of the work and expanding into threats against the production company, director, actors, staff, and everyone who participated in making the film."

It further appealed, "Please stop slandering and threatening individuals who participated in the movie, mentioning their private lives, and threatening their personal safety and livelihood."

The Korean Society of Cinematographers (CGK) also stated, "Empathy, regret, and different perspectives are all part of meaningful dialogue surrounding a movie," adding, "If that dialogue extends beyond the work to individual creators and actors, or if the audience's evaluations cannot be conveyed as they are, we worry that it may become difficult for creators to take on challenges with new stories in the future."