Film industry figures step in: "Concerns over excessive criticism of 'The Assassins'" — Statement from the Korean Film Producers' Association

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korean Film Producers' Association issued a statement regarding the political controversy surrounding the film "The Assassins." The association stated, "We believe that going beyond the scope of evaluating the work itself and leading to attacks on individuals involved in the production, such as the production company, director, actors, and staff, or the spread of unverified information, is undesirable for a healthy production environment in Korean cinema."

The Korean Film Producers' Association made this statement in a position paper released on the 1st. The association said, "Recently, various opinions and discussions have continued regarding the content, expression, and production process of the film 'The Assassins.' The Korean Film Producers' Association believes that diverse evaluations and criticisms of films and cultural arts works being freely conducted is a natural and necessary process. In particular, in the case of works based on historical events or real people, different opinions may arise depending on the audience's perspective and interpretation, and these diverse voices should be respected." It added, "However, we express concern about situations where unverified information regarding the production process or participating creators spreads, or where excessive criticism continues against individual creators such as the production company, director, actors, and staff solely because they participated in the work, regardless of evaluations of the work itself."

It further stated, "A film is a cultural creation completed through long-term collaboration among numerous creators and production teams. Feature films dealing with real events or historical materials are also created by combining dramatic structure and cinematic imagination based on relevant records and materials. We believe that evaluations regarding the expression and interpretation of a work should ideally be centered on the work itself." It revealed, "The production team of 'The Assassins' has also stated their position that the work is a feature film reconstructed by adding cinematic imagination to various records and materials using historical events as a motif. They have also publicly stated that some recent claims regarding production and investment are contrary to the facts."

Additionally, it noted, "The Korean Film Producers' Association does not intend to judge specific historical interpretations or social claims through this discussion, nor to support one side's position. However, we believe that discussions surrounding a single work going beyond the scope of evaluating the work and leading to attacks on individuals involved in film production, such as the production company, director, actors, and staff, or the spread of unverified information, is undesirable for a healthy production environment in Korean cinema." It added, "For Korean films to continue to freely handle diverse subjects and stories in the future, an environment is needed where audiences' free evaluation and criticism are guaranteed, while creators can also engage in creation without concerns about excessive external pressure. The Korean Film Producers' Association hopes that this discussion will proceed calmly and healthily within the realm of work and creation, while respecting different opinions. Furthermore, we expect that criticism and evaluation of the work will be based on facts, and that the creative activities of all members involved in film production, including the production company, director, actors, and staff, will also be respected."

The film "The Assassins" is drawing heated reactions from political circles as focus has shifted to the assassination attempt on First Lady Yuk Young-soo, which served as the subject of the film. Amid this, the film's production team issued a statement saying, "As it is a work based on historical events and real people, various interpretations and criticisms may exist. The production team respects such opinions. However, we would like to clarify that the film was not produced with specific political purposes beyond its inherent creative intent and nature."

Furthermore, regarding recent claims of so-called "inflow of Chinese capital" related to "The Assassins" through online communities and some media outlets, they stated, "There is absolutely no fact that Chinese capital flowed into the production and investment process of 'The Assassins.' 'The Assassins' is a work independently planned and produced with domestic capital under the leadership of domestic production teams and creators."

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*This content was translated by AI.