[COVER STORY] 'The Assassin(s)' producers face defamation probe over depiction of 1974 first lady assassination
Director Hur Jin-ho's historical thriller "The Assassin(s)" became the top draw over this year's Chuseok holiday, but the movie is facing a growing political dispute and defamation investigation over its depiction of the 1974 shooting that killed then-first lady Yuk Young-soo. The controversy has spilled into Korea's already deep ideological divide, with conservatives accusing the film of…
![[COVER STORY] 'The Assassin(s)' producers face defamation probe over depiction of 1974 first lady assassination](/img/10633518)
The director of "The Assassin(s)" historical thriller, Hur Jin-ho, is currently facing a defamation investigation over the movie's portrayal of the 1974 assassination of then-first lady Yuk Young-soo. The controversy has ignited a political dispute within Korea's deep ideological divide, with conservatives alleging the film's depiction distorts history while liberals defend it as fiction.
This debate escalated on Tuesday when a former city councilor from the conservative People Power Party filed a police complaint against Hur and the film's producers. The complaint alleges defamation, claiming the movie spreads false information by implying President Park Chung-hee, who came to power in 1961 through a military coup, was involved in his wife's assassination.
The film is based on the events of August 15, 1974, when Mun Se-gwang, a North Korea-linked Korean resident in Japan, attempted to assassinate Park.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
