Lee Min Ho's projects always make noise. But this one seems to have made the loudest noise yet.

The film «Assassins» (암살자들), directed by Heo Jin Ho and released on 23 September 2026, has found itself at the center of a fierce debate over the boundaries between historical fact and artistic fiction, drawing in politicians, foundations, and even other celebrities (Lee Young Ae and Kim Go Eun).

The film, based on the real assassination attempt on South Korean president Park Chung Hee on 15 August 1974, drew a significant audience in its first days of release but has faced accusations of distorting history.

The plot of the film revolves around an assassination attempt on president Park Chung Hee on 15 August 1974, during celebrations of Korean Liberation Day. The shooting, carried out by Korean-Japanese Moon Se Gwang, resulted in the death of first lady Yuk Young Su. The film, which has been compared to Oliver Stone's «JFK», follows a group of people trying to uncover the truth about the events of that day. The lead roles were played by Yoo Hae Jin (a detective), Park Hae Il (a veteran journalist) and Lee Min Ho (a rookie reporter). The film raises the hypothesis that representatives of the presidential administration or the Central Intelligence Agency may have been involved in organizing the assassination, which triggered the main wave of criticism.

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The main complaint is that the film calls into question the official conclusions of the 1974 investigation. According to those conclusions, the assassination attempt on president Park Chung Hee was carried out by an agent acting on North Korea's orders, and the first lady died from his bullet. Critics argue the film distorts these events by presenting them as if Park Chung Hee himself, rather than Pyongyang, was behind the killing.

The filmmakers stress that the film is not a documentary investigation and does not claim to establish new historical facts.

«The film was not made to deny or distort historical facts», production company Hive Media Corp. said, adding that the picture is a «creative work». It does not point to a specific individual as the mastermind behind the crime and does not present the hypotheses it raises as historical fact.

However, lawmaker Chu Jin U of the «People Power Party» said the film is based on a conspiracy theory and constitutes an «immoral crime» that causes pain to the family of the deceased. Party leader Chang Dong Hyok called the film's premise a «truly absurd story».

The President Park Chung Hee Memorial Foundation demanded an official apology and a halt to screenings, and a defamation lawsuit was filed against the filmmakers.

The Yuk Young Su Memorial Foundation stated:

«We express deep regret over the use of a national tragedy as fodder for box-office success and entertainment, which has divided public opinion. Even if disguised as a film, it is clear that the message intended for viewers is far from art, contains defamation of an individual, and is driven by political motives, and therefore cannot escape legal liability. We share the anger of the entire nation at the intentions of certain forces seeking to achieve political goals through such distortion of history, and we will certainly hold them accountable».

Some politicians, in particular lawmaker Yu Yong Ha, called the film «political propaganda» that «skillfully distorts historical facts». Questions of double standards were also raised: lawmaker Chu Jin U gave a hypothetical example, asking whether a film claiming that former first lady Kwon Yang Suk ordered the assassination of former president No Mu Hyon would be considered freedom of expression.

Lawmaker Na Gyong Won called for the immediate adoption of a «Law on Punishment for Distorting the History of the Death of first lady Yuk Young Su» and a «Law on Punishment for Distorting the History of the Korean War».

Former Seoul city council member Lee Jong Bae of the «People Power Party» announced on 29 September that he had filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against director Heo Jin Ho and the film crew on charges of defamation by stating false facts under the Criminal Code.

In addition, the production company was accused of receiving Chinese investment, which Hive Media Corp. categorically denied, stating that the film was made with Korean investment, which can be verified through documents.

Despite the scandal, the film is showing notable box-office results. Over the four-day Chuseok holiday (24-27 September), the film was seen by about 1.4 million viewers, accounting for 40.6 percent of total cinema revenue during that period.

Total box office by 28 September reached approximately 15.5 billion won (about 11.4 million dollars), which is 3.5 billion won less than the production budget of 19 billion won. However, on 29 September the film lost the top spot at the box office for the first time, slipping to second place with 67,406 viewers for the day.

Audience reaction has been divided. On the Naver platform, the film's rating from actual ticket buyers is 8.3 out of 10, while the rating from regular site users is only 2.2, indicating a polarization of opinion (...or bot-driven vote manipulation). The CGV Egg Index, reflecting viewer satisfaction, dropped from 94 percent on the premiere day to 91 percent. At the Toronto International Film Festival, where the world premiere took place, all 4,256 tickets for four public screenings sold out, and the film received the People's Choice Award. Critics praised the acting, particularly singling out Lee Min Ho in the role of the rookie reporter, who, according to reviewers, «has finally found freedom as an actor».

The scandal has also affected other industry figures. Actresses Lee Young Ae and Kim Go Eun left positive reviews of the film after attending a VIP screening on 21 September 2026, before the official premiere. Their handwritten recommendations were published by the distributor on 23 September, the day of the premiere.

Lee Young Ae wrote: «Gripping and very moving. Director Heo Jin Ho is the best!!», while Kim Go Eun noted: «I feel immense gratitude for the present. Be sure to watch and feel it together with us!».

Other artists, including Lee Jung Jae and Uhm Jung Hwa, also left reviews, but the main brunt of the criticism was borne by the social media accounts of Lee Young Ae and Kim Go Eun.

Starting from 27 September, malicious comments appeared on Lee Young Ae's pages, including: «How can you leave such a review after watching a film that defames the deceased?», «Nuna, what suddenly happened to you?» and «I am disappointed. I don't even want to see your face».

Kim Go Eun also received critical remarks, including questions about what exactly she meant by «gratitude for the present».

Users wrote: «It's hard to understand how one can leave such reviews for a film that distorts history», «I hope you will think about what it means to consume a fabricated past as culture», «You'd better study history», «I have always thought well of this actress, but now I am disappointed», «I will boycott your projects and the products you endorse».

Nevertheless, the production team expressed hope that viewers would perceive the film solely as an artistic statement, not as a historical investigation.

Editor's note: another attempt by politicians to cement history into a canonical form and a complete failure to understand the difference between history and artistic myth. As for the reviews from «angry viewers», they seem to be written from a template in every country - they are so identical in Korea, China, and many other places. But in China, at least, they are trying to find these factories and arrest the participants.