Culture minister: creativity must not be constrained amid 'Assassin(s)' dispute
Version 2: The culture minister faced questions about the film at a National Assembly audit and said imagination and creation should not be constrained, while ruling and opposition parties clashed over whether to summon the production team as witnesses.
In short
Culture minister Choi Hwi-young told a National Assembly audit of his ministry on Oct 7 that “imagination and creation should not be constrained,” saying the question of historical distortion in the film “Assassin(s)” was for audiences to judge. Ruling and opposition lawmakers clashed at the same audit over whether to summon the film’s production team as witnesses. The hearing followed Choi’s Oct 5 social media post asking police to protect the film’s cast and creators and to strictly enforce the law after conservative groups rallied outside lead actor Yoo Hae-jin’s home.
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Culture minister Choi Hwi-young told a National Assembly audit of his ministry on Oct 7 that “imagination and creation should not be constrained,” answering People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Yong-geun’s question on whether creative freedom should be limited when historical events are filmed. Yonhap, Newsis and ZDNet Korea reported the exchange. Choi said the judgement was not his to make but one for the public and audiences, and that anyone who felt seriously defamed had judicial procedures available. Asked about his earlier SNS post, he said “if the culture minister does not step forward when harm is done to a creative work, who will,” adding that he had sought preventive and safety measures so the situation would not grow. [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]
The audit also saw the parties clash over whether to summon the film’s production team as witnesses. Newsis reported the People Power Party demanded director Huh Jin-ho, Hive Media Corp chief executive Kim Won-guk, the screenwriter and a Megabox executive attend, while the Democratic Party said attendance could infringe creative freedom. PPP lawmaker Cho Eun-hee said the 5·18 uprising, the Sewol ferry disaster and the death of former president Roh Moo-hyun should not be distorted, and asked why Yuk Young-soo’s death should be treated differently, ZDNet Korea and Newsis reported. SBS News reported the PPP accused the film of planting a wrong historical understanding while the Democratic Party called the push anachronistic political censorship. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
On Oct 5 Choi posted on social media that “film criticism is free, but threatening the safety of creators destroys democracy,” and said he had asked police and other authorities for safety measures for the film’s staff and cast and strict enforcement against threats in front of their homes. He said criticism of the film’s historical interpretation is natural and healthy in a democracy, but cannot be tolerated when it reaches actors’ homes. He rejected calls to stop screenings, calling them a “dangerous demand” to return to prior censorship banned by the constitution, and said defamation claims belong in civil or criminal proceedings. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
On Oct 4, members of conservative groups rallied in front of lead actor Yoo Hae-jin’s home in Seoul’s Seongbuk-gu demanding a halt to screenings and apologies, Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo reported. Kyunghyang Shinmun named the far-right group Shin Jayu Yeondae and conservative YouTubers as organisers; other outlets referred generally to conservative group members and no document gave a crowd figure. Yoo’s agency VAST Entertainment said slander and false information about the actor were spreading and that it viewed any infringement of his privacy, safety or reputation as very serious, and would take “all possible measures.” Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the production company cancelled the cast’s festival appearances and stage greetings for safety reasons. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
The film opened on Sept 23 and deals with the 1974 attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee and the shooting death of first lady Yuk Young-soo, with a historical distortion controversy over scenes suggesting KCIA higher-ups were behind the attack. Maeil Business reported former Seoul city councillor Lee Jong-bae complained to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against the person responsible for the film’s merchandise, alleging false or exaggerated advertising; a Newsis photo caption described Lee as accusing the producers of defamation in an item dated Sept 29, and the documents do not reconcile the date or the charge. [ 4 , 7 , 9 , 11 ]
Why it matters
The dispute has moved from debate over a film’s historical interpretation into the National Assembly, with the culture ministry defending creative freedom and the opposition seeking to bring the filmmakers before lawmakers. Choi’s position sets the government against demands to pull the film and against a witness summons that the ruling party says would infringe creative freedom. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the conflict is widening into a political standoff, and cancelled promotional events show the effect on the industry.
Key facts
- Culture minister Choi Hwi-young told a National Assembly audit of the culture ministry on Oct 7 that imagination and creation should not be constrained. [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]
- Choi said the judgement of historical distortion was for the public and audiences, not him, and that anyone who felt seriously defamed could use judicial procedures. [ 11 , 15 ]
- Ruling and opposition parties clashed at the audit over whether to summon the film’s production team as witnesses. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
- On Oct 5 Choi said criticism of the film is free but threats to creators’ safety destroy democracy, and that he had asked police for safety measures and strict enforcement. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Choi said demands to halt screenings would be a return to constitutionally banned prior censorship. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- The film “Assassin(s)” opened on Sept 23 and deals with the 1974 attack on President Park Chung-hee and the shooting death of first lady Yuk Young-soo. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 11 ]
- Members of conservative groups held a rally outside lead actor Yoo Hae-jin’s home in Seoul’s Seongbuk-gu on Oct 4, demanding a halt to screenings and apologies. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Yoo Hae-jin’s agency VAST Entertainment said it would take all possible measures against privacy violations, threats and defamation targeting the actor. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Culture minister Choi Hwi-young told the National Assembly audit on Oct 7 that imagination and creation should not be constrained, while saying historical distortion was for audiences to judge. [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]
- Ruling and opposition lawmakers clashed at the Oct 7 audit over whether to summon the film’s production team as witnesses. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
- Choi said on Oct 5 that he had asked police and other authorities for safety measures for the film’s staff and cast and strict law enforcement against threats and intimidation in front of their homes. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Choi said criticism and debate over the film’s historical interpretation are natural and healthy in a democracy, but that threats to actors’ homes and personal safety cannot be tolerated. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Choi rejected calls for government intervention to halt screenings, calling them a return to constitutionally banned prior censorship. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- The film opened on Sept 23 and deals with the 1974 attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee and the shooting death of first lady Yuk Young-soo. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 11 ]
- Members of conservative groups held a rally outside lead actor Yoo Hae-jin’s home in Seoul’s Seongbuk-gu on Oct 4, demanding a halt to screenings and apologies. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Yoo Hae-jin’s agency VAST Entertainment said it viewed privacy violations, threats and defamation as very serious and would take all possible measures. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the film’s production team will be summoned as witnesses at the National Assembly audit. The parties clashed over the request at the Oct 7 audit, but the documents report no decision.
- What action police or other authorities took after the minister’s request. The documents report the request but carry no response from the police or other authorities.
- Actor Yoo Hae-jin’s own response. Only his agency’s statement is reported; no document quotes the actor.
- Whether former Seoul city councillor Lee Jong-bae’s complaint concerns defamation or the film’s merchandise advertising. A Newsis photo caption describes Lee as accusing the producers of defamation in an item dated Sept 29, while Maeil Business says he complained over goods marketing under the advertising law; the documents do not reconcile the date or the charge.
- Who organised the Oct 4 rally and how many people took part. Kyunghyang Shinmun names the far-right group Shin Jayu Yeondae and conservative YouTubers, while other outlets refer generally to conservative group members; no document gives a crowd figure.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The film “Assassin(s)” opens in South Korea; it deals with the 1974 attack on President Park Chung-hee and the shooting death of first lady Yuk Young-soo. [ 4 , 7 , 9 , 11 ]
- Conservative group members hold a rally in front of lead actor Yoo Hae-jin’s home in Seoul’s Seongbuk-gu, demanding a halt to screenings and apologies from the production team and actors. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Seoul Shinmun and Asia Economy begin reporting the culture minister’s SNS post saying threats to creators destroy democracy and that he has asked police for safety measures and strict law enforcement. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Maeil Business reports Yoo Hae-jin’s agency VAST Entertainment saying it will take all possible measures to protect him from privacy violations, threats and defamation. [ 9 ]
- Newsis reports Choi telling the National Assembly audit that imagination and creation should not be constrained; Yonhap and other outlets follow. [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]
- Newsis and SBS News report ruling and opposition parties clashing at the audit over whether to summon the film’s production team as witnesses. [ 16 , 17 ]