Minister Choi Hwi-young: "Threats to Personal Safety Are the Destruction of Democracy"; Requests Protection for Actors in 'Assassin(s)'

[Financial News] Choi Hwi-young, minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), requested the Korean National Police Agency and other relevant authorities to take safety measures for those involved in the film 'Assassin(s)' and its cast. He also called for strict enforcement of the law against illegal acts, including threats and intimidation outside the actors' homes.
According to the MCST on the 5th, Choi posted a statement on his Instagram and X that day outlining his position on the controversy surrounding the film 'Assassin(s)'.
Choi emphasized, "Evaluating a film is a matter of freedom, but threats to the personal safety of creators are the destruction of democracy." He added that criticism and debate over a film's historical interpretation or perspective are natural.
However, he described acts such as going to an actor's home, staging protests, disrupting the actor's daily life, and threatening the actor's safety as "deeply concerning and absolutely unacceptable." He added that no one should instill fear in or harm an individual actor simply because the actor appeared in a work with which they disagree.
He made clear his opposition to the government's prior intervention in creative works. The government has upheld the Arm's Length Principle in culture and the arts—"support without interference"—and he explained that demanding government intervention or administrative judgment before a work is released simply because its content is disliked is a dangerous call to return to prior censorship.
Choi stated that if a work contains defamation or raises legal issues, the parties involved should seek a judicial ruling through civil litigation or criminal proceedings after its release.
Article 21 of the Constitution prohibits authorization or censorship of the press and publications, while allowing victims to seek compensation when the press or publications infringe on another person's reputation or rights. In other words, it guarantees freedom of expression while also providing for remedies after rights violations.
Choi said, "Please leave evaluations of the work to audiences and critics," adding that he would fulfill his responsibilities as minister so that people in the cultural and arts sectors could create and perform without being intimidated by external pressure or threats.
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