Dong-jin Lee: "No Withdrawal of 'Assassin(s)' Review... Not Claiming Park Chung Hee Was Behind It"

[Financial News] Film critic Dong-jin Lee said, "I have no intention of withdrawing my assessment or apologizing for the assessment itself," in response to the controversy surrounding his review of the film 'Assassin(s)'.
However, he explained that his controversial remarks were not intended to identify former President Park Chung Hee as being behind the shooting of Yuk Young-soo.
He added, "If the debate is about this film, I hope it can take place after people have watched the film in its entirety, if possible," expressing his hope that criticism of his review would also be based on the broader context of his remarks.

On Sept. 30, Dong-jin Lee posted an entry titled 'A Statement' on his blog, explaining why the review video was made private and outlining his position on the film.
He explained that, on the previous afternoon, the production team of 'B tv Dong-jin Lee's Paiakia' contacted him to say that the review video uploaded on Sept. 25 would be made private because discussions about the film were continuing. The video was subsequently made private.
The remark at the center of the controversy was, "You simply can't dismiss it as just a conspiracy theory." Dong-jin Lee said that he had discussed both the film's overall quality and its strengths and weaknesses, but that the remark had been quoted separately, leading to an ongoing dispute over his intentions.
He said the remark came while he was explaining how the film addresses unresolved questions that cannot readily be settled based solely on official announcements at the time, including the whereabouts and location of the bullets fired at the National Theater of Korea on Aug. 15, 1974.
He stressed, "It did not mean that every hypothesis raised by the film was true," adding, "Moreover, it had nothing to do with a claim that President Park Chung Hee was behind the shooting of Yuk Young-soo."

Dong-jin Lee said he understood that viewers can read different implications into particular scenes or settings even when watching the same film. However, he explained that it was his assessment that the film does not present the claim that former President Park was behind the assassination through dialogue or scene depictions.
In response to criticism asking how anyone could raise a theory that former President Park was behind the assassination while the bereaved family is still alive, he said, "It is difficult to accept because it attacks a claim that does not even exist after first assuming that it does." He reiterated that his review discussed the questions raised by the film and the way it dramatizes them, not an assertion that any particular person was behind the assassination.
He also emphasized that, over the past 30 years of reviewing films, he had been criticized in turn by people holding diametrically opposed views depending on the work. His view of this film, he added, has nothing to do with his personal opinion of South Korea's current political situation.
He concluded, "My assessment of 'Assassin(s)' as a film remains the same," adding, "However, I wanted to make clear what I said and what I did not say."
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter