'The Assassin' crosses 2 million admissions amid historical distortion controversy, 11 days after opening

"The Assassin," a film inspired by the shooting of first lady Yuk Young-soo, has surpassed 2 million cumulative admissions despite an ongoing controversy over alleged historical distortion — reaching the milestone 11 days after its opening, the ninth film released this year to do so.

Distributor Hive Media Corp said the film crossed the 2 million mark Saturday afternoon.

"The Assassin" opened Sept. 23 and rode strong momentum through the Chuseok holiday period from Thursday through Sunday, drawing about 1.41 million admissions over four days. It topped the box office during that stretch, outpacing competitors including "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub" and "Odyssey."

However, the film's pace slowed somewhat after the historical distortion controversy intensified. On Monday, it ceded the daily box office top spot to "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub," though it subsequently recovered to hold a high ranking and ultimately crossed the 2 million threshold.

Advance ticket sales also remain strong. As of 4 p.m. Saturday, the film held a 16.9 percent advance booking rate with about 84,000 tickets sold, placing it second behind the animated film "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island."

"The Assassin" draws on the events of Aug. 15, 1974, when Mun Se-gwang, a Japan-based ethnic Korean, opened fire on then-President Park Chung-hee and fatally shot first lady Yuk Young-soo.

The film was directed by Heo Jin-ho, known for "Christmas in August." It follows three characters — a police officer named Cheol-gu played by Yoo Hae-jin, a newspaper city desk editor named Jae-hwan played by Park Hae-il, and a rookie reporter named Yeong-il played by Lee Min-ho — as they pursue the truth behind the shooting.

Since its release, scenes suggesting possible involvement by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in the assassination attempt have drawn sharp criticism from political circles and related organizations, who accuse the film of distorting history. The production team has maintained that the film is a work of fiction inspired by real events, but the backlash has extended to the cast and crew.

The fallout has also disrupted the film's external schedule. The production company canceled its planned attendance at the opening ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday and an outdoor fan event Wednesday. A festival talk program called "Actors House," in which Lee Min-ho had been scheduled to participate, was also called off.

The production company said it canceled the events "in consideration of the safety of audiences and attendees in light of the series of circumstances surrounding the film."