‘The Assassin(s)’ Dominates Korean Box Office Amidst Political Firestorm

Hur Jin-ho's political crime thriller, “The Assassin(s),” centered on the 1974 shooting of first lady Yuk Young-soo, has sparked significant political anger and controversy in South Korea. The film, which depicts a police inspector investigating irregularities around the August 15, 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee, has been accused by conservative politicians and online critics of distorting history. This backlash has escalated into a police complaint against the film's creators and attempts to summon director Hur to the National Assembly.

The Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) has vocally stepped forward in support of the team behind “The Assassin(s),” condemning what they describe as attacks on individuals that have crossed the line. The guild emphasized that the hostility has moved beyond mere criticism of the film's content, instead targeting the daily lives and livelihoods of those involved and even demanding that such a film never be made again. While acknowledging that all films receive both praise and harsh reviews, the DGK asserted that criticism must not lead to the collapse of a creator’s personal life and livelihood, advocating for a healthy creative environment where filmmakers can pursue new stories even after controversy.

The film, starring Yoo Hae-jin as the investigating police inspector, Park Hae-il as a newspaper's social affairs desk head, and Lee Min-ho as a rookie reporter, delves into the events surrounding the 1974 shooting at the National Theater. The official inquiry attributed the killing solely to Mun Se-gwang, allegedly under instructions from Pyongyang and Chongryon. However, Hur’s film declines to name a culprit, leading detractors to argue that its open ending implicates Park Chung-hee or his government, fueling the accusations of historical distortion. Producers of the film have stated that nowhere in the film is any specific individual defined as being behind the incident, and its hypotheses are not presented as historical fact.

Despite the severe political storm and widespread backlash, which included one-star reviews on rating sites and abusive comments on cast members' social media, the controversy has not hindered “The Assassin(s)” at the box office. The film quickly surpassed 1 million admissions within four days of its Sept. 23 release and continued to lead the South Korean box office chart over the Oct. 2–4 weekend. During this period, it sold 412,012 tickets across 1,129 screens, grossing KRW4.07 billion ($3 million). Its cumulative performance stands strong at 2.23 million admissions and KRW21.9 billion ($16.3 million).

In the broader South Korean cinematic landscape for the Oct. 2–4 weekend, “The Assassin(s)” held the top position in admissions. However, the Japanese animated feature “Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” secured the largest gross revenue, taking $3.2 million from 405,978 admissions across 1,055 screens. Other notable films included “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” in third place, with $2.2 million from 299,915 admissions, bringing its total to $10.2 million from 1.36 million viewers. “The Odyssey” continued its strong run in ninth place, adding $1.2 million to reach $101.2 million from nearly 12 million admissions. New releases included action fantasy “Reawakened Man,” which opened in fifth with $885,217, and “Digger” in ninth with $222,627. Auteur Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love” placed sixth, while “Obsession” and “The Intern” also remained in the top ten. The overall market collective gross for the weekend was $12.6 million, a decrease from the previous week's holiday high.

“The Assassin(s)” is set to open the 37th Singapore International Film Festival on Oct. 21, with director Hur and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon attending. The DGK reiterates its belief that cinema must remain a platform for diverse ideas and voices, even if it incites debate, emphasizing that the freedom to create new films and stories depends on it.