[REVIEW] 'The Assassin(s)' tackles 1974 first lady killing through journalist eyes

The Assassin(s) revisits the 1974 killing of first lady Yuk Young-soo through the eyes of journalists and detectives, with director Hur Jin-ho saying he wanted to capture the atmosphere of the era. The film opens with the Aug. 15, 1974 shooting during a Liberation Day ceremony and explores doubts about unaccounted-for bullets and missing audio evidence. It also depicts government abuse of power, including torture of officers and press suppression. The film opens in local theaters on Sept. 23.

The movie centers on detective Cheol-gu, senior editor Jae-hwan and rookie reporter Young-il.

Yoo Hae-jin described Cheol-gu as an ordinary man caught in historical turmoil.

Park Hae-il said journalistic integrity in the film ultimately comes back to people.

The film includes cameos by Park Jeong-min, Jung Woo-sung, Shim Eun-kyung, Um Tae-woong and Oh Dal-su.

Published Sep 8, 2026 8:24 pm KST

From left, actors Lee Min-ho, Park Hae-il and Yoo Hae-jin in a scene from "The Assassin(s)” / Courtesy of Hive Media Corp

"The Assassin(s)," an upcoming historical thriller, revisits the 1974 assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo by focusing on capturing the emotional weight of living in a cruel era.

Director Hur Jin-ho explained he chose to tell the story through the eyes of investigative journalists to reflect the political climate of that time realistically.

"I didn't approach this film with the goal of solving a hidden secret all at once," Hur said after the premiere of the movie in Seoul, Tuesday. "While it follows the format of a mystery thriller, I wanted to show the atmosphere of 1974. Journalists naturally became the central medium to ask questions about that society."

Director Hur Jin-ho speaks during a press conference for his movie "The Assassin(s)” at a theater in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

"The Assassin(s)” opens with the Aug. 15, 1974 shooting of the first lady during a Liberation Day ceremony. Although official records concluded that second-generation Korean-Japanese gunman Moon Se-kwang acted alone, the movie delves into long-standing doubts about unaccounted-for bullets and missing audio evidence.

Beyond the mystery, the movie clearly shows how the government abused its power at the time. It shows how authorities tortured field officers who properly executed security duties and suppressed the press to block the public's right to know throughout the movie.

The plot revolves around detective Cheol-gu (Yoo Hae-jin), senior editor Jae-hwan (Park Hae-il) and rookie reporter Young-il (Lee Min-ho).

Director Hur Jin-ho, left, poses with actors Yoo Hae-jin, second from left, Park Hae-il, second from right, and Lee Min-ho during a press conference for their movie "The Assassin(s)" in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Yoo described his character as an ordinary man caught in historical turmoil.

"I didn't separate Cheol-gu the police officer from Cheol-gu the father," Yoo said. "He is simply a human being trying to navigate a stormy era."

Park highlighted the human element behind journalistic integrity.

"Even when standing up for the truth, everything ultimately comes back to the people," he said.

The film also stands out for its star-studded cameos, including Park Jeong-min, Jung Woo-sung, Shim Eun-kyung, Um Tae-woong and Oh Dal-su. Jung plays Han Sang-il, a powerful corporate chairman and the older brother of reporter Young-il, while Park Jeong-min plays the gunman.

Hur acknowledged his concerns about using high-profile actors for just a small amount of screen time. "I was worried prominent actors might distract audiences from the story," Hur said. "However, characters like chairman Han held symbolic weight, and Park Jeong-min's character dominated the film despite minimal dialogue."

Produced by Hive Media Corp, a studio known for producing the 2023 hit movie "12.12: The Day" about the 1979 military coup, "The Assassin(s)" is drawing natural comparisons between the two films. However, the director drew a clear distinction.

"I am grateful for the comparison, but 'The Assassin(s)' is not a movie that seeks to deliver a final verdict," Hur said. "It is about the people who lived through that time."

"The Assassin(s)" will hit the local theaters on Sept. 23.

'The Assassin(s)' unravels mystery behind 1974 killing of first lady

《刺客》以记者和侦探的视角重现了1974年第一夫人陆英秀遇刺事件。导演许镇浩表示，他希望捕捉到那个时代的氛围。影片以1974年8月15日光复节庆典期间发生的枪击事件开场，并探讨了关于下落不明的子弹和缺失的录音证据的种种疑点。影片还揭露了政府滥用职权的行为，包括对官员施以酷刑和压制新闻自由。该片将于9月23日在韩国各大影院上映。

这部电影以刑警哲九、资深编辑宰焕和新人记者英日为中心展开。

柳海镇将哲求描述为一个陷入历史动荡的普通人。

朴海日表示，影片中新闻操守的最终还是取决于人。

影片中还有朴正民、郑雨盛、沈恩京、严泰雄和吴达洙的客串演出。

发布于2026年9月8日晚上8:24（韩国标准时间）

左起：演员李敏镐、朴海日和刘海镇在电影《刺客》中的剧照 / 图片由Hive Media Corp提供

即将上映的历史惊悚片《刺客》重现了 1974 年第一夫人柳英秀遇刺事件，着重展现了生活在残酷时代的沉重情感。

许镇浩导演解释说，他选择通过调查记者的视角来讲述这个故事，是为了真实地反映当时的政治氛围。

“我拍摄这部电影的目的并非是要一次性解开所有隐藏的秘密，”许鞍华周二在首尔的电影首映式后说道。“虽然它遵循了悬疑惊悚片的模式，但我更想展现1974年的社会氛围。记者自然而然地成为了探究那个社会的核心媒介。”

周二，许镇浩导演在首尔一家影院为其电影《刺客》举行新闻发布会。（韩联社）

《刺客》以1974年8月15日韩国光复节庆典上第一夫人遭枪击事件开篇。尽管官方记录认定韩裔日籍枪手文世光为单独行动，但影片深入探讨了长期以来人们对下落不明的子弹和缺失的录音证据的疑虑。

除了悬疑元素之外，这部电影还清晰地展现了当时政府滥用权力的行径。影片中，当局对尽职尽责执行安保任务的一线警员施以酷刑，并压制新闻自由，剥夺公众的知情权。

剧情围绕着刑警哲九（刘海镇饰）、资深编辑宰焕（朴海日饰）和新人记者英日（李敏镐饰）展开。

周二，在首尔举行的电影《刺客》新闻发布会上，导演许镇浩（左）与演员柳海真（左二）、朴海日（右二）和李敏镐合影。（韩联社）

刘作虎将他饰演的角色描述为一个被卷入历史动荡的普通人。

“我没有把身为警察的哲九和身为父亲的哲九分开，”柳说。“他只是一个努力在这个动荡时代中生存下来的普通人。”

朴赞郁强调了新闻操守背后的人文因素。

“即使是在捍卫真理，最终一切也都会回到人民身上，”他说。

这部电影的另一大亮点是星光熠熠的客串阵容，包括朴正民、郑雨盛、沈恩京、严泰雄和吴达洙。郑雨盛饰演韩尚日，一位权势滔天的企业董事长，也是记者英日的哥哥；朴正民则饰演枪手。

许冠文承认他曾担心启用大牌演员却只出镜时间很短。“我担心知名演员会分散观众对故事的注意力，”许冠文说。“然而，像韩会长这样的角色具有象征意义，而朴正民饰演的角色虽然台词不多，却在影片中占据了主导地位。”

由Hive Media Corp出品的《刺客》（The Assassin(s)）自然而然地让人联想到2023年的热门电影《12.12：那一天》（12.12: The Day），该片讲述了1979年的军事政变。然而，导演明确区分了这两部影片。

“我很感激大家将我与《刺客》相提并论，但《刺客》并不是一部试图给出最终判决的电影，”许鞍华说。“它讲述的是那些经历过那个时代的人们的故事。”

《刺客》将于9月23日在当地影院上映。

《刺客》揭开1974年第一夫人遇刺案背后的谜团