Producers deny Chinese funding allegations over film 'The Assassin(s)'

The production company behind "The Assassin(s)," a film depicting the 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo, denied Tuesday that Chinese capital was involved in the project, saying the film was independently developed and produced under the leadership of domestic crew members and creators using domestic funding.

Hive Media Corp issued a statement Tuesday saying "there is absolutely no fact of Chinese capital having been introduced" into the production.

The company said it was "well aware that various opinions and questions have been raised about the film" and that it "respects criticism and diverse views on the work."

However, it added that "matters concerning investment and production capital are objectively verifiable facts," and expressed hope that "misinformation will no longer be spread or amplified."

"The Assassin(s)" is based on the real-life incident of Aug. 15, 1974, in which Moon Se-gwang, a second-generation Korean Japanese, fired a gun in an attempt to assassinate President Park Chung-hee, fatally striking first lady Yuk Young-soo. The film follows people seeking the truth behind the event.

Scenes in which some characters raise the hypothesis that Park Chung-hee's side or the Korean Central Intelligence Agency may have orchestrated the incident drew criticism from the People Power Party and others, who accused the film of distorting history.

The Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Foundation also issued a statement expressing "deep regret and strong condemnation" over what it called a distortion of "a historical tragedy that inflicted irreparable pain on former President Park Chung-hee and his family," and demanded that the production company "officially apologize for distorting historical facts and halt the film's screening."

In a statement released Monday, the filmmakers said "The Assassin(s)" is "a dramatic feature film reconstructed by adding cinematic imagination to various records related to the 1974 historical incident," and that it "was not produced to newly establish a specific historical conclusion or to deny or distort existing facts."

The filmmakers said that "as a work based on a historical event and real figures, various interpretations and criticisms are possible," adding that "the production team respects such opinions."

They also said the film "was not made with any specific political purpose beyond its own creative intent and character," and asked audiences to "view the work purely as a creative product."

Meanwhile, according to the integrated box office ticketing system, "The Assassin(s)" drew about 67,000 viewers Monday — capturing a 26.8 percent share of ticket sales — to finish second at the box office, behind "Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub," which drew about 68,000 viewers.

It was the first time "The Assassin(s)" had fallen from the top spot. The film had held the No. 1 position for five consecutive days since opening Wednesday.