Singapore film festival defies People Power Party pressure, keeps 'The Assassin' as opening film

The Singapore International Film Festival will screen "The Assassin," a film depicting the assassination of Yuk Young-soo, as its opening film as planned.

The SGIFF said Wednesday it was "aware of the discussions surrounding 'The Assassin'" and that it would "respect the creative vision of the filmmakers," confirming the film would remain the opening selection of the 37th Singapore International Film Festival.

The festival said the film was chosen through its independent programming process "based on its artistic merit and contribution to contemporary Asian cinema," adding that SGIFF's role is "to provide a platform for meaningful films from Singapore, Asia and around the world, and to help audiences experience diverse stories and perspectives."

It added that the filmmakers had described the work as "a product of cinematic imagination that combines fictional characters and situations with historical events," and had made clear it "was not made to draw historical conclusions, distort facts, or serve any political agenda."

The SGIFF also noted that "The Assassin" had drawn about 2.5 million viewers since its domestic release.

Earlier, all 109 lawmakers of the People Power Party sent a letter Tuesday to SGIFF Executive Director Jeremy Chua urging the festival to withdraw the film from its opening slot, claiming it distorts history and damages the honor of Yuk's surviving family members.

Directed by Heo Jin-ho, "The Assassin" centers on the Aug. 15, 1974, killing of Yuk Young-soo, wife of then-President Park Chung-hee.

The joint investigation headquarters at the time concluded that Mun Se-gwang, a Korean Japanese man, had acted alone under the direction of North Korea and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. Critics have long questioned the investigation's thoroughness, pointing to the fact that Mun's pistol held only five bullets while six shots were heard at the scene, and that the bullet that killed Yuk disappeared — fueling conspiracy theories about the case.

The film builds on these historical ambiguities to raise the possibility that another force was behind Mun. As a journalist and police officer struggle to uncover the truth, the Presidential Security Service and the Central Intelligence Agency work to obstruct and silence them. While the film never explicitly identifies the hidden power, it raises the question of whether some form of state authority was involved. It stops short of naming or implying former President Park Chung-hee as that force, and the ending is left open, allowing each viewer to draw their own conclusions about who was behind the assassination.

The film's ending has sparked a sharp debate between conservative and progressive camps, each offering conflicting interpretations.

Conservatives argue the film implicates Park as the mastermind, distorting history. They also contend it amounts to a secondary attack on the surviving family members of the deceased, including former President Park Geun-hye.

Progressives counter that the film does not point to Park as the perpetrator. They note that Park appears on screen only briefly, in a scene depicting the moment of the shooting, and is entirely absent from the portions of the film dealing with who was behind the attack.

Founded in 1987, the Singapore International Film Festival is Singapore's premier international film showcase, presenting works from Asia and around the world. This year's 37th edition runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.