Daejeon faces audit questions over filming permit for “Assassin(s)”
In short
Some People Power Party lawmakers have asked Daejeon city to explain how it permitted filming of “Assassin(s)”, a movie about the shooting of Yuk Young-soo, ahead of a parliamentary audit. The city says it approved the shoot in July last year on the basis of a company letter describing only “a film depicting the 1970s era of South Korea”, and that the film's selection as a September festival's closing work was handled by its culture industry agency in May. Newsis reported the film still topped its second weekend at the box office, drawing 412,012 viewers from Oct. 2 to 4.
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Daejeon city is facing political pressure over its decision to allow filming of the movie “Assassin(s)”, which deals with the shooting of Yuk Young-soo, as a parliamentary audit approaches. Hankook Ilbo reported that some People Power Party lawmakers have sent the city a series of questions and requests for documents about the permitting process and the administrative support provided. Seoul Shinmun reported that the controversy over the film has spread to the city, which lent it filming locations. The selection of the film as the closing work of a September film festival in Daejeon is also among the matters being checked, according to Hankook Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 ]
The city said it granted permission in July last year after a request for cooperation from the production company, allowing shooting in Soje-dong in the central district of Dong-gu and at the former South Chungcheong Provincial Office. It said the company's official letter described only “a film depicting the 1970s era of South Korea” and did not include a specific plot. A city official said that when “Squid Game 2” was filmed in Daejeon the content was kept strictly secret, and that production companies do not normally disclose plots; the permit was issued as usual on the grounds that it would help the local economy and promote the region, the official said. [ 1 ]
The dispute grew after “Assassin(s)” was screened as the closing film of the 8th Daejeon Special Visual Film Festival on Sept. 17-19, Hankook Ilbo reported. The city said the closing-film selection was carried out in May, before the local elections, by the Daejeon Information Culture Industry Promotion Agency through a contractor. It said preview invitations were distributed by lottery to citizens who applied, and that the city did not buy tickets. [ 1 ]
A city official said it was “absurd” that Daejeon had been caught up in such a controversy, noting that the filming permit and its timing fell under a mayor from the People Power Party, and that local governments across the country actively court film shoots to promote their regions and attract tourists. [ 1 ]
Newsis reported that the controversy has not dented the film's performance: the movie drew 412,012 viewers from Oct. 2 to 4 and has accumulated 2,233,963 admissions, according to the integrated cinema ticketing network, topping the box office in its second week. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The dispute puts a local government's decisions on film permits and event support under parliamentary scrutiny, at a time when municipalities compete to attract productions. It also shows how a work touching on modern political history can pull sponsoring local authorities into a national controversy.
Key facts
- Daejeon city permitted filming of “Assassin(s)” in July last year at the production company's request, allowing shoots in Soje-dong in Dong-gu and at the former South Chungcheong Provincial Office. [ 1 ]
- Some People Power Party lawmakers sent the city questions and requests for documents about the permit process and administrative support ahead of the parliamentary audit. [ 1 ]
- The city said the production company's official letter described only “a film depicting the 1970s era of South Korea” and contained no specific plot. [ 1 ]
- The film was the closing work of the 8th Daejeon Special Visual Film Festival, held Sept. 17-19; the city said the closing-film choice was made in May by the Daejeon Information Culture Industry Promotion Agency through a contractor. [ 1 ]
- The city said it did not buy tickets and distributed preview invitations by lottery among citizens who applied. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reported the film drew 412,012 viewers from Oct. 2 to 4, with cumulative admissions of 2,233,963, topping the weekend box office in its second week. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Which People Power Party lawmakers sent the inquiries, and what specific documents they requested. Reported by one outlet based on the city's account; the documents do not name the lawmakers or include any response from them.
- Whether political considerations played any role in selecting “Assassin(s)” as the festival's closing film. The city says the selection was made by its culture industry agency through a contractor in May, before the local elections, but the documents offer no independent confirmation.
- Whether the production company disclosed the film's subject to the city before filming. The city says the company's request described only a 1970s-era film; the documents contain no comment from the production company.
- Daejeon city said it granted the filming permit in July last year at the production company's request, and that the request did not include a plot. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Hankook Ilbo reports that People Power Party lawmakers have sent questions and document requests to Daejeon city ahead of the parliamentary audit, and sets out the city's account of the July filming permit and the September festival closing screening. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports that the controversy over the film has spread to Daejeon city, which provided the filming locations. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports that “Assassin(s)” topped its second weekend at the box office, drawing 412,012 viewers from Oct. 2 to 4 for cumulative admissions of 2,233,963. [ 3 ]