Brief
Busan jury president Zhang Yimou comments on controversy over ‘The Assassin(s)’
Zhang Yimou said history is written by people while juror July Jung expressed a cold‑hearted reaction to the film’s handling of a 1974 assassination.
By Felo News Desk · Published
At a press conference on Wednesday during the Busan International Film Festival, jury president Zhang Yimou addressed the heated debate over Hur Jin‑ho’s thriller The Assassin(s), which dramatizes the Aug. 15, 1974 shooting of First Lady Yuk Young‑soo. Zhang said he had not seen the film but noted that “history is also written by people” and that creators “respect every creator’s vision.”
When the moderator tried to move on, juror July Jung, director of Next Sohee, spoke up, saying her “heart feels so cold as a filmmaker.” Jung argued that a film’s treatment of real events can cause pain and questioned how filmmakers should proceed when reactions are strong.
The controversy stems from accusations by conservative politicians and online critics that the film distorts history. The official inquiry attributes the 1974 attack solely to gunman Mun Se‑gwang, but Hur’s film leaves the perpetrator ambiguous, leading some to suggest the ending implicates former President Park Chung‑hee’s regime. A former People Power Party Seoul city councilor has asked police to investigate Hur, the production company’s CEO and the two writers for defamation, while the Directors Guild of Korea condemned what it called “attacks on individuals that have crossed the line.”
Despite the dispute, The Assassin(s) continues to draw audiences, topping the Korean admissions chart over the Oct. 2‑4 weekend. The film’s box‑office success illustrates the tension between artistic interpretation and historical accountability in South Korean cinema.
Key facts
- Zhang Yimou said history is written by people and he has not seen the film. (variety.com)
- July Jung said her heart feels cold as a filmmaker while discussing the film. (variety.com)
- Conservative politicians accuse the film of distorting history and have asked police to investigate the director and writers for defamation. (variety.com)
- The film topped the Korean admissions chart over the Oct. 2‑4 weekend. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “Busan Jury President Zhang Yimou Weighs In on ‘The Assassin(s)’ History Row as Juror July Jung Says Her ‘Heart Feels So Cold’”
