[Sportschosun, Reporter Park A-ram] Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party’s Innovation Policy Research Institute, stated his position on the controversy surrounding the film “Assassin(s)” after watching the movie, which is based on the shooting of Mrs. Yuk Young-soo.
In a Facebook post on the 4th, Cho Kuk said he had watched “Assassin(s)” and argued, “This film does not defend Mun Se-gwang’s actions, nor does it mock Mrs. Yuk Young-soo’s death.”
He added, “There is absolutely no basis for legal liability, whether on grounds of defamation or anything else,” expressing his opinion about the film.
Assessing the movie, he said, “The 131 minutes passed in an instant, thanks to the suspenseful storytelling that skillfully combines fact and fiction and the performances by Korea’s finest actors.”
Cho Kuk also suggested making public the materials held by state agencies concerning the shooting of Mrs. Yuk Young-soo. He proposed, “Why not publicly verify the relevant materials held by state agencies, including the bullet projectile reportedly collected and stored at the time by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, now the National Intelligence Service, and put the controversy to rest?”
He also addressed the controversy surrounding actor Yoo Hae-jin, who appears in the film. Cho Kuk wrote, “People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo personally attacked actor Yoo Hae-jin, saying that his face had a ‘North Korean look,’” and added, “Far-right groups announced plans to hold a rally in front of Yoo Hae-jin’s home.”
He continued, “I hope director Hur Jin-ho, actor Yoo Hae-jin and the rest of the cast stay strong,” adding, “Our national actor Yoo Hae-jin has a ‘righteous-army look.’” He also said he planned to watch the film a second time with Pyeongtaek residents who ran in the April 7 by-elections.
That same day, People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo strongly criticized Cho Kuk’s remarks in a Facebook post.
Joo Jin-woo said, “After watching the immoral film ‘Assassin(s),’ Cho Kuk made the absurd remark, ‘Let’s publicly reexamine the materials related to Mrs. Yuk Young-soo’s assassination case,’” and asked, “Did he receive orders to conceal that it was North Korea’s doing?”
He continued, “He praised Yoo Hae-jin, who appeared for a large fee in a film that character-assassinates a family and conceals North Korea’s atrocities, calling him a ‘righteous-army look,’” and criticized him again, asking, “A righteous army of which country?”
tokkig@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
