[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] The film “Assassins,” inspired by the shooting of the late First Lady Yuk Young-soo, remained at the top of the box office despite controversies over historical distortion and political sparring. However, its advance ticket sales ranking dropped to third place, and attendance in its second week fell by 57% compared to the first week. While the controversy has heightened interest in the film, its ability to actually draw audiences to theaters appears to be waning.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 6th, “Assassins” took the top spot at the box office, drawing 178,854 viewers the previous day. Its cumulative audience stands at 2,412,817.
In second place is “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island,” which drew 131,280 viewers. Its cumulative attendance has risen to 736,044. “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” ranked third, drawing 96,721 viewers, and recorded a cumulative total of 1,462,369 viewers. “Odyssey” ranked fourth with 46,945 viewers, while “The Resurrected: The Red” ranked fifth with 36,090 viewers.
While “The Assassin(s)” currently leads in total attendance, competing films held the advantage in advance ticket sales, which indicate future viewing demand. As of 7:30 a.m. that day, “Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” topped the advance ticket sales chart with 62,442 tickets sold, followed by “Odyssey” and “Assassin(s).”
What’s noteworthy about the box office performance of *Assassin(s)* is not so much its ranking as the sharp decline in attendance. The number of viewers, which stood at 1,546,582 in its first week, dropped to 667,776 in its second week. This represents a decline of approximately 57 percent. While it is common for the initial surge in viewership to subside, the fact that the film failed to maintain its first-week momentum even during the three-day National Foundation Day holiday indicates that its box office momentum has weakened.
Meanwhile, the political debate surrounding the film is actually intensifying. On the 5th, Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the birthplace of the late First Lady Yuk Young-soo in Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province, and continued his criticism of the film, citing a “war over history and culture.” Cho Kuk, director of the Innovation Policy Research Institute at the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and Seo Young-kyo, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, published their reviews and encouraged people to see the film again or for the first time. As evaluations of the film have led to political confrontation, the film has garnered even more attention.

The controversy spread beyond the film’s content to include pressure directed at the cast and the production company. Following protests by conservative groups outside Yoo Hae-jin’s home and demands to cancel advertising contracts, calls were even made to withdraw the film’s selection as the opening film at an international film festival. On the 5th, VAST Entertainment, Yoo Hae-jin’s agency, stated that it views the dissemination of false information, invasion of privacy, and threats to his personal safety as serious matters, and announced that it “plans to take all possible measures” to protect the actor’s rights and safety.
Events where audiences could meet the actors in person were also canceled one after another. The production company, Hive Media Corp., canceled scheduled events—including attendance at the opening ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival and an outdoor stage greeting—out of consideration for the safety of the audience and attendees. This means the controversy surrounding the film has also affected the film festival’s exchange and promotional activities.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young also voiced concern as the controversy surrounding the film *The Assassin(s)* intensified. On the 5th, Minister Choi posted on his X (formerly Twitter), stating, “While it is one’s freedom to evaluate a film, it is deeply concerning and absolutely unacceptable if such criticism crosses the line—to the point where protesters gather in front of the actors’ homes, stage demonstrations, infringe upon their daily lives, and threaten their personal safety.” He added that he had strongly urged relevant authorities, including the National Police Agency, to implement safety measures for the film’s staff and cast and to strictly enforce the law against illegal acts such as threats and intimidation outside their residences.