The film "The Assassins" has drawn more than 2 million moviegoers 11 days after its release, even as it faces accusations of distorting history.
The movie recorded a cumulative 2,045,495 admissions as of the 3rd, topping the box office among Korean films, according to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network on the 4th. It has also held the No. 1 spot in advance ticket sales for Korean films for 20 consecutive days.
The film is based on the 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee by Mun Se-gwang, a Korean resident of Japan, during which first lady Yuk Young-soo was fatally shot.
Directed by Hur Jin-ho, who made "Christmas in August" (1998), the film follows police officer Cheol-gu, played by Yoo Hae-jin, along with newspaper social affairs editor Jae-hwan, played by Park Hae-il, and cub reporter Yeong-il, played by Lee Min-ho, as they pursue the truth behind the incident.
Controversy erupted after politicians and others criticized the film for distorting actual history, pointing to scenes in which characters raise the possibility that the Korean Central Intelligence Agency was behind the incident. The dispute has since widened, with comment functions disabled on advertisements featuring the cast and audience events including a stage greeting at the Busan International Film Festival canceled one after another. In response, film industry groups including the Korean Film Producers Association and the Cinematographers Guild of Korea called for an end to excessive criticism of the filmmakers.
