Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will retain Hur Jin-ho’s ‘The Assassin(s)’ as its opening film despite a request from all 109 lawmakers of South Korea’s conservative People Power Party to withdraw it, reports Variety.
The festival said Wednesday that the film was chosen through its independent curatorial process for its artistic merit and contribution to contemporary Asian cinema.
It added that the filmmakers have described the story as a fictionalised work that combines real events with invented characters.
‘The Assassin(s)’ explores the 1974 assassination of Yuk Young-soo, wife of then-South Korean president Park Chung-hee.
The film does not identify a specific culprit, while critics have accused it of leaving room for interpretations that differ from the official account.
The PPP urged SGIFF to reconsider the selection, arguing that the film distorts history and could influence international audiences unfamiliar with Korea’s past.
The party cited a survey in which 58.2% of respondents called the film historically distorted.
The controversy has also affected the film’s domestic festival run, with cast appearances at the Busan International Film Festival cancelled amid safety concerns.
‘The Assassin(s)’ will open SGIFF on 21 October, with Hur expected to attend alongside actors Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon.
