South Korean opposition urges Singapore film festival to drop controversial thriller

South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party is rallying its lawmakers to pressure the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) to remove the political thriller “The Assassin(s)” from its opening night on Oct. 21. Representative Joo Jin-woo announced on Facebook that a joint letter will be sent in the name of all party legislators, asserting the film distorts established facts about the 1974 assassination of Yuk Young-soo, wife of President Park Chung-hee, and insults the former president.

The party, which holds 109 of the 299 National Assembly seats, warns the movie could also be barred from other overseas festivals, such as those in Brazil. The controversy follows the film’s strong domestic performance, drawing 2 million viewers during an 11-day run. An anonymous People Power Party lawmaker said nearly every party member backs the petition. Meanwhile, People Power Party Chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok is scheduled to visit Okcheon-gun, the birthplace of the assassinated first lady, though details of the visit remain undisclosed.