People Power Party Demands Suspension of ‘Assassins’ Screenings... Pressures Director to Appear at National Assembly Audit

Allegations of "Historical Distortion"; Calls for Apology from Producers and Distributors

Comparison with the May 18 Law; Claims of "Sanctifying Only Certain History"

On September 29, the People Power Party continued to allege historical distortion regarding the film "Assassins," which deals with the shooting incident involving First Lady Yuk Youngsoo. The party demanded the suspension of screenings and called for the film's producers to appear before the National Assembly audit.

Donghyuk Jang, the party's representative, who the previous day proposed a boycott of the film, wrote on his Facebook page, "The generation that most strongly resists the leftist offensive is the 2030 youth generation. The boycott movement against the film 'Assassins' was also started voluntarily by young people." He added, "The strength of youth will cleanse the 'leftist strongholds' in the Republic of Korea and protect liberal democracy."

Jang Donghyuk, Representative of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik also wrote on Facebook that the film is "the kind of low-grade propaganda reminiscent of Moon Seon-dae, designed to provoke the animosity of activists toward former President Park and spread a negative image of the former President among the public based on absurd conspiracy theories." He further criticized that "the film skillfully deploys cinematic devices to demonize former President Park."

He continued, "Twenty years ago, the film 'The President's Last Bang' was ruled by the court in the first trial to have slandered the honor of the former President Park and the film company was ordered to pay 100 million won in damages to the bereaved family. The defamation and historical distortion in this film are far more serious. It is a film that tramples on fundamental ethics and betrays the soul and spirit of filmmakers."

The party leadership stated that, at the party level, it will seek fundamental measures to block malicious historical distortion while guaranteeing freedom of creative expression, such as by holding a seminar on controversies over historical distortion in popular culture.

Assemblywoman Cho Eun-hee, secretary of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, said at the policy meeting, "Last year, on October 23, director Kim Deok-young of the film 'The Founding War' appeared in person as a witness at the committee's audit. At the time, Democratic Party lawmakers strongly objected, saying it was a work that denied historical facts such as the Jeju 4·3 Incident. Standards should not change after just one year," arguing for current issue inquiries or the need for director Hur Jin-ho and others to appear at the audit.

Park Deok-heum, deputy speaker of the National Assembly whose constituency is Okcheon, Chungbuk, where First Lady Yuk's birthplace is located, said, "The production team and distributor must apologize to the bereaved family and the public, and at the very least must clearly inform audiences that this film differs from historical facts."

The People Power Party also raised comparisons with events such as the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. Five-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won wrote on Facebook, "A 'Yuk Youngsoo Historical Distortion Punishment Act' and a 'Korean War Historical Distortion Punishment Act' should be enacted first. If that is not possible, the 'May 18 Historical Distortion Punishment Act,' which exclusively sanctifies certain history, should be abolished."

Assemblywoman Na said, "If such a film were made about former Presidents Kim Dae-jung or Roh Moo-hyun, the Democratic Party would have driven the production company out of business. The terrible hypocrisy of sanctifying only the history they choose—oppressing it with imprisonment while hacking away at other historical tragedies in the name of freedom of expression—must certainly be judged."

Assemblywoman Lee Jin-sook added at a National Assembly press conference, "The leftist bloc, which insists that May 18 is sacred and must not be touched, is now attempting to rewrite the history of President Park Chung-hee."

She herself recently faced intense criticism from the ruling party after hosting a forum at the National Assembly related to the May 18 Democratization Movement, at which remarks glorifying former President Chun Doo-hwan were made.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Ju Jin-woo referenced the so-called "Let's Go to Starbucks" slogan controversy at Paichai High School last July, and said, "Just as Paichai students were made to pay respects at the May 18 cemetery, the director, cast, and crew of the immoral film 'Assassins' should bow in apology at President Park Chung-hee's grave."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.