[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Film critic Lee Dong-jin has stated that he has no intention of retracting his review or apologizing regarding the controversy over historical distortion surrounding the film “The Assassin(s).” He also emphasized that the remarks in the video that sparked controversy were “completely unrelated.”

In a post on his blog on the 30th of last month, the critic stated, “My cinematic assessment of ‘Assassin(s)’ remains the same,” adding, “Therefore, I have no intention of retracting the evaluation I made in that review or apologizing for the evaluation itself.”
Previously, the YouTube channel “B tv Lee Dong-jin’s Piaiakia,” on which he appears, announced, “As the controversy surrounding *The Assassin(s)* continues, we will set the review video uploaded on September 25 to private,” and made the critic’s *The Assassin(s)* review video private.
Referring to this, the critic explained, “In this video, I expressed my views by pointing out various aspects regarding the film’s quality, strengths, and weaknesses,” adding, “A single line I said—‘You can’t just dismiss this as a conspiracy theory’—has been taken out of context, and controversy continues over the intent behind my words.”
Regarding this remark, he clarified, “It was made in the context of explaining how the film addresses issues—including questions surrounding the trajectory and whereabouts of the bullets fired at the National Theater on August 15, 1974—that cannot be readily resolved by the official statements of that time alone,” adding, “It did not mean that all the hypotheses raised by the film are true.”
The critic stated, “These remarks have absolutely no connection to the claim that President Park Chung-hee was behind the shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-soo,” noting that while he respects diverse interpretations, such a scenario is not depicted in the dialogue or scenes of *The Assassin(s)*. He also described this claim as “a ridiculous and horrific assertion.”
He explained, “It is my judgment that it would be difficult for audiences watching this film to arrive at the interpretation that ‘President Park Chung-hee was behind the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo,’” adding, “Therefore, the criticism asking, ‘How can you raise the conspiracy theory that “President Park Chung-hee was behind the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo” when her family members are still alive?’ is difficult to accept because it assumes a claim that does not even exist and then attacks it.”
He added, “I felt it necessary to make it clear regarding the situation where claims I did not actually make are being taken as my views,” and emphasized, “It was not a claim that definitively identified a specific individual as the mastermind behind the assassination.”
In response to the criticism that his current remarks contradict what he said 19 years ago about the documentary *The Road to Guantanamo*, he stated, “‘The Assassin(s)’ is a fictional film acted out by actors, and since the audience watches it fully aware that it is a dramatized story, the same standards cannot be applied as with a documentary.”
He added, “Of course, there is always room for discussion regarding where to draw the line between fact and fiction in a fictional film based on historical events, so *The Assassin(s)* can also be criticized from that perspective, and I believe such a discussion is necessary.”
The critic explained, “If there is to be a debate about this film, I hope it takes place after people have watched the entire movie,” adding, “I also hope that any criticism of my review is based on the overall context in which I made my comments.”
*The Assassin(s)* is a film inspired by the August 15, 1974, shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-soo, which traces the truth behind the incident and the forces behind it. Since its release, controversy has arisen as some have claimed that the film depicts former President Park Chung-hee as the mastermind behind the shooting. The production team issued a statement on the 28th, clarifying, “This film was not produced with any political agenda.”