On October 13, the Seoul Jongno Police Station summoned and questioned Lee Jong-bae regarding his defamation complaint against the production team of the film Assassins (암살자들), as reported by newspim.com. The police investigation centers on allegations that the film depicts former President Park Chung-hee as having a potential role behind the 1974 assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo.
The Bottom Line
- Lee Jong-bae filed a formal defamation complaint on September 29, targeting director Hur Jin-ho, producer Kim Won-kuk, and writers.
- The film centers on the events of August 15, 1974, when Zainichi Korean Mun Se-gwang shot at President Park Chung-hee, resulting in the death of First Lady Yuk Young-soo.
- Political and cultural friction surrounding the film has intensified across legislative audit hearings and municipal agencies, sparking heated debates over creative freedom versus historical defamation.
Police Summon Complainant in Defamation Case
As Newsis details, the Seoul Jongno Police Station called in Lee Jong-bae at approximately 1:00 p.m. on October 13 to investigate the charges he brought forward. Lee had previously lodged a criminal complaint against Hive Media Corp CEO Kim Won-kuk, director Hur Jin-ho, and writers Kwon Gi-jun and Lee Ji-min under charges of defamation. The case was initially filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on September 29 before being handed down to the Jongno precinct.
Speaking to reporters before entering the police station, Lee maintained that the shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-soo was firmly established as the lone-actor crime of Mun Se-gwang through official investigations and court trials. Lee argued that framing the narrative to suggest an underlying masterminded plot involving former President Park causes severe defamation to the deceased and forces living family members and audiences to reckon with the implication of being descendants of a criminal.
The historical tragedy cannot be distorted under the guise of creative freedom, and we must never tolerate actions that trample upon the dignity of the deceased and their surviving family members,
Lee stated outside the precinct, according to newspim.com.
Political and Legislative Clash Over Creative Freedom
The controversy surrounding Assassins has spilled well beyond the criminal complaint, igniting sharp ideological battles within South Korea’s political sphere. During a National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit covering the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB), ruling and opposition lawmakers clashed heavily over the film’s 12-and-over age rating and its historical framing, SBS News reported.
Ruling party representatives criticized the age rating, arguing that young audiences unfamiliar with the 1974 historical context would mistake the film’s fictionalized political hypotheses for verified history. Conversely, opposition lawmakers pushed back, warning that direct political interference in cultural output threatens the fundamental boundaries of artistic expression.
The institutional friction also impacted promotional schedules. Following public pushback from lawmakers over a free promotional screening planned by the Busan Film Commission, the local screening event was canceled. Addressing the cancellation on a radio broadcast, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon criticized political intrusion in the arts, pointing out that political pressure during past administrations severely damaged the standing of major cultural institutions like the Busan Film Festival, Energy Economy Daily reported.
| Key Entity / Stakeholder | Stance / Action Taken |
|---|---|
| Lee Jong-bae (Complainant) | Filed defamation charges against production team; attended police questioning on Oct 13. |
| Hive Media Corp (Production) | Released a statement denying any intent to distort established historical facts. |
| National Assembly Audit Participants | Divided sharply between criticizing the film’s age rating and defending creative freedom. |
Production Studio Defense and Ongoing Scrutiny
In response to mounting public scrutiny and legal challenges, production company Hive Media Corp issued an official statement maintaining that the project was not designed to subvert or misrepresent historical record. The studio defended the film as a project based on the 1974 incident.
Despite the studio’s official denials, the legal scrutiny initiated by the police summons moves the controversy into a formal investigative phase. Investigators must now determine whether the narrative choices and stylistic implications within the film cross the legal threshold of defamation or remain safely within the recognized boundaries of cinematic interpretation and creative liberty.
