Culture minister calls protests outside 'The Assassins' actor's home 'destruction of democracy'

As controversy over the film "The Assassins" intensified following its opening — including protests staged outside the home of lead actor Yoo Hae-jin — Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said threats against creators amount to "the destruction of democracy" and urged authorities to enforce the law strictly.

In an SNS post Monday, Choi said "criticism and debate over the historical interpretation or perspective a film presents is natural and healthy in a democratic society," but added that "if criticism crosses a line — with people gathering in front of an actor's home to protest, intruding on their private life and threatening their personal safety — that can never be tolerated."

Choi also invoked the "arm's length principle" — the foundational tenet of cultural policy that the government supports the arts without interfering in them — and shrugged off calls for administrative intervention. "Demanding that the government step in beforehand or use administrative power to judge a work simply because its content is displeasing is a dangerous call to return to an era of 'prior censorship' that the Constitution prohibits," he said. "A film is an artistic creation completed through the imagination and interpretation of its creators."

Choi also made clear that any legal disputes, including defamation claims, must be resolved within the framework of the rule of law. "If a work has legal problems, the appropriate course after its release is to seek a court's rigorous judgment through civil litigation or criminal proceedings," he said. "No one should go to an individual actor's home to incite fear or attempt to cause harm simply because that actor appeared in a work they disagree with."

On the question of concrete action, Choi said he had "on Monday strongly requested that the Korean National Police Agency and other relevant authorities take safety measures for those involved in the film and its cast, and strictly enforce the law against illegal acts — including threats and intimidation — carried out in front of their residences."

He added: "Leave the assessment of a work to audiences and critics, and if you believe a line has been crossed, seek the judgment of the courts. The dignity of a democratic society is upheld not by physically suppressing views different from one's own, but by engaging in rational dialogue and debate within the bounds of the law. I will fulfill my responsibility to ensure that artists and performers can pursue their creative work without being intimidated by outside pressure or threats."

Since "The Assassins" opened, a controversy over alleged historical distortion has spread, triggering calls to boycott a fast-food product Yoo endorses and a wave of posts online showing users deleting a related application. On Sunday, members of some conservative-leaning organizations held a rally outside Yoo's home in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, demanding the film be pulled from cinemas and that an apology be issued.

Yoo's agency, VAST Entertainment, also announced Sunday through its official SNS account that it would take legal action against the protests outside his home and malicious defamation.

"We have confirmed that defamatory content and false information about our actor Yoo Hae-jin are being indiscriminately spread and circulated through online communities and SNS," the agency said. "We take extremely seriously all acts involving the creation and spread of false information, malicious personal attacks and insults, as well as invasion of privacy, threats to personal safety and defamation."

The agency added that it would "take all possible measures to protect our actor's rights and safety from illegal acts," and that it would "continue to monitor infringements and respond as necessary to any confirmed cases."