[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Amid controversy over historical distortion surrounding the film "The Assassin(s)"—which is based on the assassination attempt on the late First Lady Yuk Young-soo—the backlash has spread to commercials featuring lead actor Yoo Hae-jin. The fallout continues to grow, with actors who praised the film and film critics who posted review videos also facing a barrage of hate comments.

◇Blacklisted Just for Being Seen… Direct Blows from Ads to Actors and Content
According to entertainment industry sources on the 30th, the comment sections for Burger King and Kiwoom Securities commercials—in which Yoo Hae-jin appears as a model—have been disabled. While these brands did not specify the reason for restricting comments on the ads, the move is interpreted as a response to protests from some netizens who took issue with Yoo Hae-jin’s appearance in *Assassins*, demanding a model replacement, contract termination, and boycotts.

Criticism is not only directed at the actors in the film but also at those who watched it or praised it. The social media accounts of lead actor Lee Min-ho, as well as actors Lee Young-ae and Kim Go-eun—who left recommendations at the premiere—are being flooded with personal attacks. In some online communities, there are even moves to share the list of premiere attendees in the form of a so-called “blacklist.”

The production team of the YouTube channel “B tv Lee Dong-jin’s Piaiakia,” featuring film critic Lee Dong-jin, announced on the 29th, “As the controversy surrounding the film continues, we have set the review video uploaded on September 25 to private.” The video had attracted thousands of comments and sparked a heated debate. The film YouTube channel “J-Movie,” which has 4.18 million subscribers, also set a review video with over 2 million views to private.

*The Assassin(s)* is a mystery film inspired by the August 15, 1974, shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-soo, which traces the truth behind the incident and those pulling the strings. Although investigative authorities at the time concluded it was a lone act committed by Moon Se-kwang, a Korean resident in Japan, the film raises alternative suspicions through the perspectives of characters investigating the case and on-site records. Criticism arose that the film depicted former President Park Chung-hee or the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) as being behind the incident, sparking controversy. The production team issued a statement on the 28th refuting the claims, stating, “This film was not produced with any political agenda,” but the controversy over historical distortion has not subsided.

◇Historical Distortion Debate Spills Over into Political Circles and the Courts… Freedom of Expression at Stake

With political circles joining the fray, the debate over historical distortion is intensifying. Opposition parties, including the People Power Party, have demanded the film’s screening be halted, arguing that “the film presents possibilities that differ from verified historical facts.” Following People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk’s mention of a boycott of the film, some lawmakers have stated their intention to push for director Heo Jin-ho’s appearance at a parliamentary audit. On the other hand, Democratic Party lawmakers such as Park Ji-won and Choi Min-hee are countering the opposition’s offensive, arguing that “a movie should be viewed as a movie.”

On the 29th, Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul City Council member from the People Power Party, filed a police complaint against Director Heo Jin-ho and the production team on charges of defamation for spreading false information. Furthermore, controversy is spreading across online communities following reports that the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ Support Center for Discharged Military Personnel, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), and the National Land Safety Management Agency—an agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport—organized group screenings for their employees. On the 30th, former Councilman Lee filed a complaint against Mirae Asset, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, and the National Land Safety Management Agency on charges including violations of the Anti-Graft Act and bribery.

Within the film industry, there is a view that a distinction must be made between verifying the facts and critiquing works based on historical events, and restricting the screening or expression of the creative work itself. Previously, in 2013, a court dismissed a request for a preliminary injunction to ban the screening of the film “The Cheonan Project,” which had been filed by the families of the Cheonan victims and Navy officers on grounds of factual distortion.

Film critic Jeong Ji-wook stated, “Attempts to punish or ban a film that go beyond criticism or analysis are wrong,” adding, “In fact, might this film not serve as a starting point for shedding new light on the circumstances of the incident?”