"What if there had been a film saying 5·18 was carried out by North Korea?" — Han Dong-hoon criticizes 'The Assassins'

[Financial News] Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker, has joined the controversy surrounding 'The Assassins,' a film based on the 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo. While opposing prior censorship that restricts film production and release, Han said that criticizing a publicly released work is also protected by freedom of expression.
Han wrote on Facebook on the 28th, "Film belongs to the realm of creative expression, and prior censorship is unconstitutional. I oppose prior censorship." He added, "However, when a released commercial film distorts historical facts, stirs up controversy, and makes money, it is justified to criticize the film and the people who made it."
He also argued that the same standard should apply when dealing with historical events associated with a particular political camp. Han emphasized, "This is all the more true if the distortion aligns with the views of a particular political camp. If a film saying that 5·18 was carried out by North Korea had been released, or if a film saying that the sinking of the ferry MV Sewol was carried out by the Democratic Party of Korea had been released, they would have faced a great deal of criticism. Likewise, this film deserves criticism. Freedom of expression also includes the freedom to criticize."
Earlier, figures from the People Power Party also criticized the film as historically distorting the 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo, saying it implied that former President Park Chung Hee was behind the incident. The film explores questions surrounding who was behind the shooting and the possibility that powerful state institutions were involved, fueling continued controversy in political circles.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter