'The Assassin(s)' tackles 1974 first lady killing through journalist eyes
"The Assassin(s)," an upcoming historical thriller, revisits the 1974 assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo by focusing on capturing the emotional weight of living in a cruel era. Director Hur Jin-ho explained he chose to tell the story through the eyes of investigative journalists to reflect the political climate of that time realistically. "I didn't approach this film with the goal of…
The Assassin(s), an upcoming historical thriller, delves into the 1974 assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo, focusing on the emotional impact of living during a brutal era. Director Hur Jin-ho chose to tell the story through the perspective of investigative journalists to accurately portray the political climate of that time.
Hur emphasized that his intention was not to uncover hidden secrets, but rather to illustrate the atmosphere of 1974. While the film follows the structure of a mystery thriller, its primary goal is to showcase the environment of that period. The Assassin(s) begins with the August 15, 1974 shooting of the first lady during a Liberation Day ceremony.
Despite official records concluding that second-generation Korean-Japanese gunman Moon Se-kwang acted alone, the movie explores lingering doubts about unaccounted-for bullets and missing audio evidence. In addition to the mystery, the film clearly demonstrates the government's abuse of power during that time, revealing how authoritarian practices were prevalent.
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