[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Amid the controversy surrounding the film *The Assassin(s)*, which led to the consecutive cancellations of Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Min-ho’s Busan events, another lead actor, Park Hae-il, visited Busan and appeared before the audience.

On the 8th, Park Hae-il attended the “Waikiki Brothers” Master Talk at the Community BIFF event held at the Megabox Busan Theater in Jung-gu, Busan, as part of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. He watched the film alongside director Im Soon-rye, who directed his film debut, and engaged in a conversation with the audience.
Originally, the *Assassins* team was scheduled to meet audiences several times at the Busan International Film Festival. Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Min-ho were set to attend the opening ceremony on the 6th, and director Heo Jin-ho, along with Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, were scheduled to make an appearance on the outdoor stage on the 7th. However, the production company requested the cancellations citing the safety of the audience and attendees, resulting in the cancellation of all related events. Lee Min-ho’s solo talk show, “Actors’ House,” was also canceled.
Yoo Hae-jin also did not attend the Buil Film Awards, where he had won Best Actor for *The Man Who Lives with the King*. He canceled his entire Busan schedule as the controversy surrounding *The Assassin(s)* escalated into protests outside the actor’s home and concerns for his personal safety.
In contrast, Park Hae-il went ahead as scheduled with the “Waikiki Brothers” Master Talk, an indoor event planned independently of *The Assassin(s)*. Although he did not make any remarks regarding *The Assassin(s)* or resume promotional activities, he drew attention for continuing to meet with audiences on his own while the lead actors’ public appearances had been canceled.
While controversies and schedule cancellations continued off-screen, the film’s box office success persists. On October 9—Hangul Day—“Assassins” drew 160,976 viewers to maintain its No. 1 spot at the box office, bringing its cumulative total to 2,745,841. Amid calls to separate the controversies surrounding the film from the actors’ personal activities, Park Hae-il’s quiet trip to Busan stood out as a striking contrast.