The Korea Creative Content Agency (KCCA) has awarded an A rating to the film 'Assassins,' despite recognizing the potential for political controversy surrounding the project. The agency rated key aspects such as the director's ability, screenplay, and planning all as A, even while expressing difficulty in assessing the film's overall quality.
According to a content value assessment report submitted by lawmaker Jeong Yeon-wook on October 5, the KCCA granted the A rating to 'Assassins' on October 27, 2024, when the film was still in its early production stages. Out of 12 detailed evaluation criteria, 10 received an A rating.
The KCCA was aware of the risks involved during the evaluation process. The report's SWOT analysis noted a 'threat' in the title's implications, stating there was a possibility of becoming embroiled in social issues or political controversy. It also identified a 'weakness' in the difficulty of gauging the film's cinematic quality due to its political espionage thriller nature. Nevertheless, the agency awarded A ratings for the director's capability, screenplay, and planning.
In evaluating the appropriateness of the project, the report used the current political climate as a positive justification. It stated, 'Political interest is higher now than at any time since the declaration of martial law in December 2024,' deeming it 'timely.'
The handling of historical facts is also expected to spark controversy. Moon Se-gwang was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court on December 17, 1974, and executed three days later. However, the report described this as 'Moon Se-gwang's confession, vaguely known as the death sentence execution,' suggesting that the exploration of the background could be presented in a fresh light.
The legal review was limited to confirming the production company's explanations. The report stated, 'The legal review process of the production company was verified during on-site interviews.' There is no mention of any separate legal review findings. None of the four evaluators were legal experts.
The KCCA specified in the report that it did not conduct additional verification of the accuracy of the materials provided by the production company. It also stated that it would not be responsible for decisions made by users based on the report.
An A rating is not common. Of the 67 films evaluated by the KCCA since 2022, only 21, or 31.3%, received an A rating or higher. The content value assessment is a system that provides evaluation reports to investment institutions to facilitate funding. However, the investor that applied for the assessment of 'Assassins' ultimately decided not to invest.
Lawmaker Jeong stated, 'The KCCA awarded an A rating to key aspects while acknowledging the potential for political controversy and the uncertainty of the work. Content dealing with real people and historical events should undergo verification by historical and legal experts, and the process of this evaluation must be disclosed.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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