The ruling and opposition parties clashed on October 7 during the National Assembly's audit sessions in the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Education Committee over the film 'Assassins,' which has sparked controversy regarding historical distortion.
During the morning session at the National Assembly, the People Power Party and the Democratic Party continued their heated debate over 'Assassins.' The People Power Party insisted that witnesses related to the film should be summoned to clarify the allegations of historical distortion, arguing that the film could instill a distorted understanding of history. In contrast, the Democratic Party and the Justice Party defended the film, claiming that such actions would suppress creative freedom and amounted to censorship.
In the Culture Committee, the People Power Party called for the summoning of key figures involved in the film, including director Heo Jin-ho, to address concerns about promoting a flawed understanding of history.
Representative Kim Seung-soo stated, "Many citizens are curious about the circumstances surrounding the film's production and the malicious intent behind its editing," urging the committee to hear from the director and screenwriter.
Representative Kim Seok-ki added, "The entire country is in an uproar over the historical distortion controversy. We need to question why there was an attempt to instill such a flawed understanding of history."
In response, the Democratic Party immediately pushed back, arguing that this was an act of suppressing creative freedom.
Representative Noh Jong-myeon remarked, "It seems there is an intention to exclude former President Park Chung-hee from the narrative," questioning whether it is appropriate to summon creators to the National Assembly for interrogation.
Representative Choi Min-hee also stated, "The National Assembly audit is not a place to suppress the freedom of cultural and artistic creation. I oppose the summoning of witnesses."
The debate over the film 'Assassins' continued during the Education Committee's audit of the Ministry of Education.
People Power Party Representative Jeong Seong-guk questioned Education Minister Choi Kyo-sik, stating that the film could instill a distorted understanding of history in young audiences, asking, "Shouldn't the Ministry of Education intervene when such films are released?"
Minister Choi responded, "If people misunderstand facts and accept incorrect information as historical fact, that is a very serious issue."
In turn, Justice Party Representative Kang Kyung-sook countered, "The National Assembly is not a film censorship committee. The People Power Party is mobilizing all its resources against a single film."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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