Gumi multiplex pulls “The Assassins” amid party pressure over history claims
In short
A multiplex in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, stopped screening “The Assassins” on Oct 6, and CGV said the decision was made by the branch, which it says is not directly operated. The same day, 20 People Power Party lawmakers from Daegu and North Gyeongsang held a press conference urging a halt, and the party asked the Singapore International Film Festival to drop the film as its opening title. The film, about the 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo, has drawn about 2.42 million admissions since its Sept 23 release.
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A multiplex in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, stopped screening “The Assassins” on Oct 6, the theater and CGV said. CGV told Hankook Ilbo that the Gumi branch is not directly operated by its headquarters and that programming and the decision to stop screening were the branch’s. The branch’s schedule shows no screenings of the film through Oct 11, according to NoCut News, which added that a CGV official described the site as a consignment operation. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
Gumi is the hometown of former president Park Chung-hee, and the film’s release has drawn repeated protests there. Civic groups and conservative organisations have held rallies demanding that the film be pulled and that its makers apologise, according to the outlets. Newsis published a photograph dated Sept 30 showing Gumi mayor Kim Jang-ho at Park Chung-hee’s birthplace with civic group members demanding that screenings stop immediately. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
On the same day as the stoppage, 20 People Power Party lawmakers from Daegu and North Gyeongsang held a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul calling for an end to screenings. They argued the film “cunningly distorts history under the pretext of artistic imagination and creative freedom” and said that distorting the tragedies of modern Korean history for political or commercial purposes should not be allowed, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. The lawmakers also objected to the distributor and theaters producing and handing out a “bullet-mark ticket.” The party said it sent a letter, on behalf of all 109 of its lawmakers and signed by its floor leader, asking the Singapore International Film Festival to reconsider selecting the film as its opening title. [ 1 , 2 ]
The film was released on Sept 23 and is based on the Aug 15, 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo. It topped the box office over the Oct 2–5 holiday with about 591,000 admissions and had about 2.416 million cumulative admissions, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported. An unnamed film industry figure told NoCut News that a film currently ranking first and drawing audiences would be pulled only if an outside force had played a role, an assessment not confirmed by the theater or CGV. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
The production company has denied distorting history. It said the film was made after wide research into public records, materials, books and documentaries, and that it combines fictional characters and situations with real events and people as motifs, according to Hankook Ilbo and NoCut News. The company said it was not made for any specific political purpose and asked that it be seen as a creative work. The Korean Film Producers Association and the Directors Guild of Korea said the dispute has gone beyond evaluating a work toward attacking the individuals who made it and spreading unverified information, NoCut News reported. [ 5 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The removal of a box-office leader from a theater in Park Chung-hee’s hometown shows a dispute over historical interpretation moving from criticism into decisions about what screens where. Film industry groups cited in the coverage warn the dispute has shifted toward individual filmmakers, actors and staff. The documents give no indication of how other theaters or the Singapore International Film Festival will respond.
Key facts
- A multiplex in Gumi, the hometown of former president Park Chung-hee, stopped screening “The Assassins” on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- CGV said the Gumi branch is not directly operated by its headquarters and that programming and the decision to stop screening were the branch’s. [ 5 , 7 ]
- The CGV Gumi schedule shows no screenings of the film through Oct 11. [ 5 ]
- Twenty People Power Party lawmakers from Daegu and North Gyeongsang held a press conference on Oct 6 calling for the screening to stop. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The People Power Party sent a letter to the Singapore International Film Festival asking it to reconsider selecting the film as its opening title, on behalf of all 109 of its lawmakers. [ 1 ]
- The film drew about 591,000 admissions over the Oct 2–5 holiday and had about 2.416 million cumulative admissions. [ 1 ]
- The film is based on the Aug 15, 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo and was released on Sept 23. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
- The production company said the film was not made to distort or deny history or for political purposes, and asked that it be viewed as a creative work. [ 5 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A multiplex in Gumi stopped screening “The Assassins” on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The film deals with the Aug 15, 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
- CGV said the Gumi branch is a consignment operation and that programming and the stoppage decision were the branch’s. [ 5 , 7 ]
- Civic and conservative groups in Gumi have held rallies demanding the film be pulled and an apology from its makers. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The production company said the film was not intended to confirm a historical conclusion, deny or distort facts, or serve political purposes. [ 5 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- Whether political pressure directly caused the theater to pull the film. One outlet quotes an unnamed film industry figure saying an outside force appears to have played a role, while CGV is reported as saying the decision was the branch’s own.
- Reports that an advertisement featuring actor Yoo Hae-jin was ended and that police took protective measures for him. This appears only in one outlet’s feed summary, with no detail, and no other outlet states it.
- Whether other theaters followed the Gumi branch, and how the Singapore International Film Festival responded to the party’s letter. The documents describe one theater and do not report any response from the festival.
- People Power Party lawmakers from Daegu and North Gyeongsang held a press conference on Oct 6 urging the screening to stop. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Oct 6: Reports say a multiplex in Gumi has stopped screening “The Assassins,” and that 20 People Power Party lawmakers held a press conference at the National Assembly urging a halt. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Oct 6: Newsis publishes a photograph dated Sept 30 showing Gumi mayor Kim Jang-ho at Park Chung-hee’s birthplace with civic group members calling for the screening to be stopped immediately. [ 3 ]
- Oct 7: Chosun Ilbo reports that one theater in Gumi has pulled the film. [ 4 ]
- Oct 7: NoCut News reports that the CGV Gumi branch schedule lists no screenings of the film through Oct 11. [ 5 ]
- Oct 7: CGV tells Hankook Ilbo that the Gumi branch is not directly operated and that the decision to stop screening was the branch’s. [ 7 ]