A controversy surrounding a film has escalated into a fierce debate, involving appearance-based insults against its lead actor and protests held outside their private residence. The catalyst for this conflict is the new film 'Assassins,' which deals with long-term unconverted political prisoners and debates over modern history.

The issue began when People Power Party representative Joo Jin-woo targeted actor Yoo Hae-jin, who appeared in the film, calling him "North Korean-looking" and labeling him an accomplice in distorting history. In response, former professor Jin Jung-kwon immediately took to social media to call Rep. Joo's behavior "truly trashy," directly firing back by telling him, "Take a look in the mirror to see how ugly you've become lately."

A notable point is that former professor Jin also harshly criticized the film’s screenplay, calling it a "conspiracy theory with the intelligence of a chrysalis." Nonetheless, his core point is that engaging in personal attacks and stigmatizing the actor for choosing the project crosses the line into "group lynching." Meanwhile, Rep. Joo has countered by bringing up Jin's own past aggressive debates, maintaining that criticizing the actor also falls under the realm of freedom of expression.

This controversy has moved beyond online arguments to actual threats. As members of conservative groups like the New Liberal Solidarity gathered to protest in front of Yoo Hae-jin's home in Seongbuk-dong and threatened a boycott of advertisements, film industry organizations strongly pushed back, labeling it an unfair pressure on creators. The current trend—moving past mere artistic critique to ideological verification and collective action against individual artists—vividly reflects the deep political divisions in Korean society.

Related links