'Assassin(s)' Tops Korean Box Office for Second Weekend Amid Distortion Row
In short
The South Korean film “Assassin(s)” topped the box office for a second consecutive weekend, with CBS NoCut News reporting 590,873 admissions over the four days from Oct 2 to the Oct 5 substitute holiday and a cumulative 2,412,824, while Chosun Ilbo put the cumulative figure at 2,233,963 a day earlier. The film, released Sept 23 and inspired by the shooting of former first lady Yuk Young-soo, drew allegations of historical distortion from the opposition People Power Party, which the producers denied. Industry groups warned that criticism had moved from the film to the people who made it, with threats of physical attacks and cancelled events.
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The film “Assassin(s)” was the top weekend box office title in South Korea for a second consecutive week, according to Korea Film Council integrated ticketing network figures cited by Chosun Ilbo, Newsis and CBS NoCut News. Chosun Ilbo reported on Oct 5 that the film had drawn 188,468 admissions the previous day, taking its cumulative total to 2,233,963. CBS NoCut News reported on Oct 6 that the film drew 590,873 admissions over four days from Oct 2 to the Oct 5 substitute holiday for National Foundation Day, for a cumulative 2,412,824. Newsis said the film held the weekend number one spot despite political controversy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
CBS NoCut News reported that the film, released on Sept 23, takes its motif from the shooting of the late first lady Yuk Young-soo. It said allusions in the film to who was behind the shooting of the first lady led the opposition People Power Party and other opposition figures to allege historical distortion. [ 3 ]
The producers denied the allegations, saying the film “was not made to newly confirm a particular historical conclusion or to deny or distort existing facts”, that it “nowhere defines a specific person as being behind the incident”, and that it does not present its hypotheses and dramatic settings as historical fact, CBS NoCut News reported. [ 3 ]
CBS NoCut News said criticism directed at the film's director and actors had gone beyond acceptable bounds, with moves threatening physical attacks and a series of cancellations of related scheduled events. The Korean Film Producers Association said debate over a work spilling into attacks on the production company, director, actors and staff, and the spread of unverified information, was not desirable for a healthy production environment for Korean film. The Korean Film Directors Guild said demands now extended to preventing such films from being made again, and that protecting an environment where creators can keep working despite criticism is a basis for Korean cinema's future. Film People Solidarity said judgments about a work belong to audiences and society, and that individuals should not have their livelihoods and safety threatened for taking part in a film or expressing an opinion. [ 3 ]
Newsis's headline said the film topped the weekend box office for a second consecutive week despite political controversy; the article text carried with the document dealt with an unrelated Supreme Court matter and gave no further detail on the film. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The dispute ties a commercially successful Korean film to a politically charged reading of a former first lady's assassination, and to a wider argument about whether historical material can be dramatised. Film industry groups quoted by CBS NoCut News frame the episode as a test of whether Korean filmmakers can keep working under pressure, which makes the industry reaction, not just the ticket sales, the lasting issue.
Key facts
- The film “Assassin(s)” was the weekend box office number one in South Korea for a second consecutive week, according to Korea Film Council integrated ticketing network figures. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reported 188,468 admissions on Oct 4, the day before its report, taking the cumulative total to 2,233,963. [ 1 ]
- CBS NoCut News reported 590,873 admissions over the four days from Oct 2 to the Oct 5 substitute holiday, with a cumulative total of 2,412,824. [ 3 ]
- The film was released on Sept 23 and is based on the shooting of the late first lady Yuk Young-soo, CBS NoCut News reported. [ 3 ]
- The opposition People Power Party and other opposition figures alleged historical distortion over hints about who was behind the first lady's shooting; the producers denied that the film defines anyone as behind the incident or presents its hypotheses as historical fact. [ 3 ]
- CBS NoCut News reported threats of physical attacks, cancelled related events and statements from Korean film industry groups defending the filmmakers. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The cumulative audience total: Chosun Ilbo reports 2,233,963 and CBS NoCut News reports 2,412,824. The figures were published on different days and cover different periods, so they are not directly contradictory but cannot be reconciled from the documents.
- Whether the political controversy increased ticket sales. CBS NoCut News frames the controversy as raising curiosity, but gives no data linking the dispute to admissions.
- The director is credited as Heo Jin-ho and the production and distribution company as Hive Media Corp. Only one document carries these credits and no other outlet repeats them.
- The nature of the threats against those involved and which events were cancelled. CBS NoCut News refers to moves threatening physical attacks and to cancelled schedules without naming them.
- Newsis's headline covers the film, but the article text carried with the document is about an unrelated Supreme Court matter. The document's film coverage could not be read in full beyond its headline.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Chosun Ilbo reports the film topped the box office with 188,468 admissions the previous day and a cumulative 2,233,963. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports the film held the weekend number one spot for a second consecutive week despite political controversy. [ 2 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports 590,873 admissions over four days from Oct 2 to the Oct 5 substitute holiday and a cumulative 2,412,824, along with the historical distortion dispute and industry reaction. [ 3 ]