Film critic Lee Dong-jin fires back at bias allegations over 4-star rating for 'Hope'

Film critic Lee Dong-jin has posted a lengthy rebuttal on his blog after allegations of personal ties and financial motives surfaced following his four-out-of-five-star review of director Na Hong-jin's new film "Hope."

On Monday, Lee published a post on his blog opening with the words "I'm writing again," explaining that he had decided to respond despite feeling worn out and tired of the situation.

The controversy began Sunday, when Lee gave "Hope" four stars alongside a one-line review reading: "A film that charges boldly through a bizarre chaos — the entire thing is one enormous crescendo."

Some online users questioned whether the rating had been influenced by Lee's personal relationship with Na, the director's reputation, or the broader circumstances of the Korean film industry, and his blog and YouTube channel were flooded with hostile comments.

Lee denied any personal connection to Na. "Everything between us has been in official settings — interviews and post-screening audience Q&As related to 'The Wailing' and 'Hope,'" he said. "We have never shared so much as a cup of coffee, and I don't even have his phone number." A post-screening audience Q&A, known in Korean film circles as a GV (guest visit), is a session held before or after a screening where the audience can speak with filmmakers or critics.

Addressing the claim that he had given a generous score because of Na's name recognition, Lee pointed to the director's early works "The Chaser" and "The Yellow Sea," asking, "Since when exactly did Na Hong-jin have a name to trade on?" Lee had previously given "The Chaser" four stars, "The Yellow Sea" four and a half, and "The Wailing" a perfect five.

He said each film he reviews matters more to him than the state of the Korean film industry as a whole, and went on to say, "Even if my assessment puts someone in a more difficult position, I believe I must grit my teeth and write what I see."

On the allegation that he had praised the film to secure a paid Q&A appearance, Lee said he had received about 20 such requests this year but had hosted Q&As for only two films.

"I did not give 'Hope' a favorable review because I was doing a Q&A for it — the causality runs the other way," Lee said. "I take on a film's Q&A because I think highly of that film."

Lee described "Hope" as "a charming, original and entertaining film with very powerful strengths that more than offset its weaknesses."

He added: "'Hope' is a great film — that is my opinion. That it is a terrible film is yours. And a larger number of opinions is not always the better opinion."

"Hope," which opened Wednesday, stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon. It drew 330,000 viewers on its opening day, setting the best opening-day score of the year, and surpassed 2 million admissions within five days while holding the top spot at the box office for six consecutive days. Audience ratings have swung to extremes, oscillating between the 1-point and 9-point ranges on a 10-point scale.