Choi Hwi-young, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated that there should be no restrictions on imagination and creativity regarding the historical distortion controversy surrounding the film 'Assassins.'
During the National Assembly's audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on October 7, Choi responded to questions about historical distortion and creative freedom in film adaptations, saying, "This is a matter for the public and the audience to judge."
Choi emphasized that if someone feels seriously defamed by the film, legal procedures are available, asserting that the government leads cultural administration but does not judge the content of films.
Some lawmakers pointed out Choi's social media post, where he called for strict legal action against illegal activities involving the cast of 'Assassins.'
In response, Choi argued, "If the Minister of Culture does not step in to protect creators from harm, then who will?" He added, "It is the minister's role to protect creators and allow them to create freely."
The debate over 'Assassins' began as soon as the audit started. Members of the ruling People Power Party demanded that director Heo Jin-ho and representatives from the production company be summoned as witnesses, while lawmakers from the Democratic Party countered that the audit should not serve as a platform for ideological censorship or suppression of artistic freedom.
On this day, Kim Ki-chun, who served as the Chief of Staff during the Park Geun-hye administration, was also mentioned.
Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Jun-ho criticized the claim that funds from the Korean Venture Investment Corporation and national policy banks invested in 'Assassins' should be recovered, stating, "The Korean Venture Investment Corporation currently undergoes independent investment reviews by private management firms," and criticized Kim Ki-chun for influencing investments by changing personnel at the management firm during his tenure. He asserted, "The Lee Jae-myung administration does not dictate or interfere with fund investments, unlike Kim Ki-chun."
Jeong also criticized the previous administrations of Chun Doo-hwan and Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye for controlling the media and excluding individuals through lists, stating, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has evolved its suppression tactics by cutting budgets for projects in comics, films, and publishing that it disapproves of."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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