‘Assassin(s)’ pulled from theaters in Park Chung-hee’s hometown... CGV Gumi halts screenings

[Financial News] Amid an ongoing controversy over historical distortion surrounding ‘Assassin(s),’ a film about the fatal shooting of the late Yuk Young-soo, CGV Gumi in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province—the hometown of former President Park Chung-hee—has halted screenings of the film.
According to News1 on the 7th, CGV Gumi dropped ‘Assassin(s)’ from its lineup starting the previous day, the 6th. The measure was taken only at the Gumi branch, not as a nationwide suspension ordered by CGV headquarters.
Since the film’s release, calls to stop screening ‘Assassin(s)’ have continued in Gumi, led by political circles and conservative groups. Local organizations, including the Park Chung-hee Presidential Birthplace Preservation Association, held a rally in front of the former president’s birthplace on the 30th of last month, saying the film distorted historical facts and defamed the deceased, and urging that screenings be halted.
A rally calling for screenings to be halted was also held in Gumi’s theater district on the 6th. That same day, People Power Party lawmakers representing Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province held a press conference at the National Assembly and demanded, “The production company must offer a profound apology for maliciously distorting the facts and defaming the deceased while dealing with real people and historical events, and immediately stop screening the film.” They also called on the government to “immediately ask the Singapore International Film Festival to withdraw its selection of ‘Assassin(s)’ as its opening film.”
This has prompted speculation that opposition from political circles and conservative groups may have influenced CGV Gumi’s decision to halt screenings of ‘Assassin(s).’ However, it has not been confirmed whether the decision was made in response to their demands.
CGV Gumi is a contract-operated branch rather than a directly operated outlet of the company’s headquarters, and film scheduling is reportedly left to the discretion of the operator.
Released on the 23rd of last month, ‘Assassin(s)’ is based on the shooting of Yuk Young-soo on August 15, 1974. Since its release, the film has drawn criticism, particularly from political circles, for allegedly distorting actual history, and the controversy continues.
The filmmakers said, “The film was not made to establish a particular historical conclusion anew or to deny or distort existing facts,” but the controversy has yet to die down.
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter