Why a film about a dictator has South Korea at war with itself
Like many films released during Chuseok, South Korea’s national mid-autumn harvest festival, The Assassin(s) shot right to the top, selling more than a million tickets in its first four days. But the box-office success of the film about the 1974 assassination attempt on former president and military leader Park Chung-hee was quickly overshadowed by calls to halt screenings, as well as a police…
South Korea has become embroiled in a heated debate over a film that tells the story of the 1974 assassination attempt on former President Park Chung-hee, a contentious figure in the country's history. The film, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hur Jin-ho, has topped box office charts but has also sparked controversy and calls for censorship.
Park, who came to power after a 1961 military coup, is remembered as both a symbol of rapid industrialization and a ruler marked by political repression and civil liberties restrictions. As the film's release coincided with South Korea's national mid-autumn harvest festival, its box office success was quickly eclipsed by accusations that it distorts history and defames Park's legacy.
Park loyalists and conservative politicians argue that the film, while a work of fiction, inaccurately portrays key historical events. The film's director and producers have faced police complaints, while actors have canceled public appearances and faced online abuse. The backlash has reignited a long-standing argument over how South Korea should remember the Park era and how unresolved political divisions influence historical interpretations.
The film centers on the 1974 assassination attempt during a ceremony marking Korea's liberation from Japanese rule. The would-be assassin, Mun Se-gwang, missed his target, killing Park's first lady instead. While the film does not identify all potential accomplices, it raises questions about possible involvement from within the presidential office or intelligence authorities.
Park's son, Park Ji-man, has called for a halt to screenings, echoing his father's previous objections to a film depicting his assassination in 1979. The production company denies having political intentions, stating that the film uses cinematic imagination rather than presenting a new historical conclusion. However, the controversy highlights the ongoing struggle to reconcile South Korea's past with its present, a challenge that remains unresolved in many aspects of the nation's societal discourse.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
