Yoo Hae-jin, who led a 10-million-admission hit, now under police protection... Amid fallout from 'Assassin(s)', “Criticism and personal pressure must be kept separate”

[Financial News] Actor Yoo Hae-jin, who led a 10-million-admission hit with The King's Warden in the first half of this year, is having a year of extremes amid controversy surrounding the Chuseok release Assassin(s). The actor, who won widespread affection for making audiences laugh and cry, is now facing rallies outside his home and threatening remarks online just months later, and has been placed under police protection.
Released on September 23, Assassin(s) follows a fictional reporter and detective as they investigate the 1974 shooting of Yuk Young-soo. At the time, investigators concluded that Mun Se-gwang, acting on orders from North Korea and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, had killed Yuk while attempting to assassinate former President Park Chung-hee. The film added unverified theories, raising the possibility of accomplices and the involvement of powerful institutions, and became embroiled in a controversy over historical distortion. Yoo Hae-jin plays Cheol-gu, who investigates the case to help junior detectives held responsible for lapses in protection and security surrounding the shooting.

According to Yonhap News on the 6th, Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul received a request for personal protection from Yoo Hae-jin's agency that day and activated safety measures. The move came amid growing concerns for his safety, as rallies condemning him have been held outside a detached house in Seongbuk-gu identified as his home since the 4th, while threatening remarks have also appeared online. Police issued Yoo a smartwatch, registered him in the 112 emergency system, and increased patrols around his home. No dedicated protection officers were assigned.
That day, protest rallies also continued outside the headquarters of the company that operates Burger King and outside production company TPS Company Protesters demanded that screenings of the film be halted and that the production team and actors apologize. 
Meanwhile, Burger King ended its advertising campaign for the Truffle Mushroom Whopper featuring Yoo Hae-jin. After launching the new product on the 16th of last month, it wrapped up the campaign on the 30th of the same month. Related posts on its official social media accounts and in-store advertisements are also being taken down.
Burger King, however, rejected the interpretation that the campaign's end was a response to the film controversy. The company said it runs campaigns under one-off contracts with models for each product, and that this campaign too ended according to a schedule set in advance.
Appearances before audiences have also been canceled one after another. Following a stage greeting for Assassin(s), he will miss the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival on the 6th and the outdoor stage greeting on the 7th, as well as the Buil Film Awards, which take place on the 7th. He is nominated for Best Actor this year for The King's Warden.
Last May, Yoo Hae-jin also won the Grand Prize in the film category at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards for The King's Warden. He recalled that when he first started making films, all he hoped for was to be able to make a living, and that after winning a supporting actor award, he resolved to be content and continue acting. He thanked the audience, saying, “I am deeply moved to receive the grand prize.”


Amid excessive criticism directed at Yoo Hae-jin, film industry groups voiced their concerns one after another. They stressed that while audiences' freedom to evaluate and criticize should be respected, controversy must not spill over into threats to film workers' daily lives, livelihoods, or safety. 
In a statement on the 1st, the Korean Film Producers Association expressed concern about unverified information regarding the production process and participating creators spreading, and about individual creators facing excessive criticism solely for having worked on the film. The Korean Society of Cinematographers (CGK) said on the 2nd that discussions surrounding a work could make it harder to take on new stories if they turned into personal attacks on creators and actors. 
On the 4th, the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) said, “What we are facing now is not criticism or condemnation of a film, but an attack on individuals that has crossed the line,” expressing concern that debate over the work was targeting film workers' daily lives and livelihoods and even undermining their chances to create again. It added, “Films must continue to be made as people with different thoughts and voices come together, sometimes giving rise to debate,” and stressed, “If that freedom disappears, it will be difficult for new films or new stories to emerge.”
On the 5th, Film Workers Solidarity, a coalition of 19 film industry organizations spanning production, directing, cinematography, distribution, exhibition, and labor, said, “When a work deals with an actual historical event, a range of issues can be raised and public debate can take place over its interpretation and expression,” adding, “The pain and concerns felt in that process by bereaved families and those who remember that era must also be respected.” At the same time, it stressed, “Criticism of a work and pressure on an individual must be clearly distinguished.”
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter