Democratic lawmaker slams conservatives over 'The Assassin' controversy: 'Is this really 21st-century Korea?'

Choi Min-hee, a supreme council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged conservatives to stop what she called a "political offensive" against the film "The Assassin."

Speaking at a Democratic Party supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Friday, Choi criticized the cancellation of actor Lee Min-ho's scheduled appearance at the Busan International Film Festival, where he had been set to promote "The Assassin." "What kind of global embarrassment is this? Is this really 21st-century Korea?" she said.

Choi also noted that questions surrounding the shooting of former first lady Yuk Young-soo had previously been examined on multiple television programs — including SBS's "Geugeosi Algo Sipda" and "Kkorie Kkorie Mureunneun Geunal Iyagi," as well as MBC's "Ijeneun Malhal Su Itda" — and asked why "The Assassin" alone was being singled out for such attacks. "Why, at this particular moment, is there such a crude and petty political offensive directed only at 'The Assassin'?" she said.

Choi also took aim at People Power Party lawmaker Ju Jin-woo for attacking one of the film's cast members. "He calls an actor who is widely recognized for his talent a 'North Korea Award' winner — does that even make sense?" she said.

She drew a comparison to the United States, pointing to "JFK," a film about the assassination of President Kennedy. "Even in America, they don't mock actors over a film like that," she said. "Because there's some debate over historical distortion, America actually released all the records related to that debate. Couldn't you respond in a similar way?"

Choi also warned against political interference in film and the arts.

"Politics that denies the history of insurrection and dictatorship and tramples on film and art for partisan gain — this is why far-right conservative politics fails," she said. "Please, just stop."

Choi had raised similar concerns at a supreme council meeting on Wednesday, calling "The Assassin" a work of fiction and urging the People Power Party to drop its criticism. "See a film as a film, and don't throw cold water on the early signs of a Korean cinema revival with pointless political attacks," she said.

"The Assassin" is based on the shooting of former first lady Yuk Young-soo during a Liberation Day ceremony on Aug. 15, 1974. The film has sparked a historical distortion controversy by suggesting a conclusion that differs from the government's official account — that Yuk was killed by a bullet fired by Zainichi Korean Mun Se-gwang.

As the controversy has grown, Lee Min-ho's appearance at the Busan International Film Festival was canceled, and a series of stage-greeting events scheduled for the film's second week of release have since been called off as well.

The production team said the film "was not made to newly establish a specific historical conclusion or to deny or distort existing facts."