'The Assassin(s)' lead actor vows firm response to protesters outside his home

Lead actor Yoo Hae-jin of The Assassin(s) said he will respond firmly after protesters gathered outside his Seoul home over the weekend. VAST Entertainment said it was collecting online posts and other materials and would take measures to protect his rights and safety. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young urged police to protect the film’s cast and crew, while the production company canceled Busan International Film Festival events because of safety concerns.

On Sunday, conservative civic group members protested near Yoo Hae-jin’s home in Seoul’s Seongbuk District and demanded that the film be pulled from theaters.

The film centers on the 1974 assassination attempt on then-President Park Chung-hee, in which then-first lady Yuk Young-soo was killed.

An official investigation concluded that Mun Se-gwang acted alone under instructions linked to North Korea, but the film suggests possible complicity by government and intelligence officials.

Published Oct 5, 2026 5:04 pm KST

Updated Oct 5, 2026 5:05 pm KST

A poster for the movie "The Assassin(s)" is seen at a theater in Seoul, Monday. Newsis

Lead actor Yoo Hae-jin of the controversial film “The Assassin(s)” said he will take a firm stance against protesters who gathered outside his Seoul home over the weekend, his agency said Monday.

VAST Entertainment said it was taking the matter seriously. “We will take a firm stance against any actions that violate the actor’s privacy, threaten his safety or tarnish his reputation,” the agency said in a statement.

The agency added it was collecting relevant online posts and other materials and would take all necessary measures to protect Yoo’s rights and safety against illegal acts.

On Sunday, members of conservative civic groups held a protest near Yoo’s home in Seoul’s Seongbuk District, calling for the film to be pulled from theaters and demanding apologies from its cast and production team.

“The Assassin(s)” centers on the 1974 assassination attempt on then-President Park Chung-hee. Park survived the attack, while then-first lady Yuk Young-soo was killed.

An official investigation concluded that Mun Se-gwang, a Korean resident of Japan, acted alone under instructions linked to North Korea. The film, however, suggests possible complicity by government and intelligence officials — a depiction critics have condemned as historical distortion and defamation based on what they say are false claims.

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young also spoke out against the protesters Monday.

In a message posted on his social media account, Chae called on police and other authorities to protect the film’s cast and crew and to strictly enforce the law against threats and intimidation.

“People are free to judge a film, but threats to the personal safety of its creators destroy democracy,” Chae wrote. “If criticism of a film goes so far as to bring protesters to an actor’s home, intrude on private life and threaten personal safety, it must not be tolerated.”

The minister said he had asked relevant authorities to take safety measures for those involved in the film and respond firmly to illegal acts, including threats and intimidation outside private residences.

Conservative civic group members hold a protest in front of actor Yoo Hae-jin's home in Seoul to condemn the film "The Assassin(s)," Sunday. Yonhap

Critics have flooded social media with malicious comments, calling for boycotts of products advertized by Yoo. They also demanded that companies cancel their advertising contracts with Yoo.

[COVER STORY] 'The Assassin(s)' producers face probe over depiction of Park Chung-hee plotting wife's death

A coalition of 19 film organizations also issued a joint statement, Monday, echoing the minister’s concern.

“The judgement of a work belongs to audiences and society,” the coalition said. “No one’s daily life or safety should be threatened simply because they participated in a work or expressed an opinion,” the group said.

The growing backlash has already disrupted the film’s promotion schedule. Citing safety concerns, the production company canceled its planned participation at the 31st Busan International Film Festival’s opening ceremony and an outdoor photo session.

Meanwhile, the film remains no. 1 at the Korean box office and had surpassed 2 million admissions as of Monday.

电影《刺客》主演柳海镇表示，周末期间，抗议者聚集在他位于首尔的住所外，他将对此做出坚决回应。VAST娱乐公司表示，正在收集网络帖子和其他相关资料，并将采取措施保护柳海镇的权利和安全。文化部长官蔡辉英敦促警方保护该片的演员和工作人员，而制作公司也因安全顾虑取消了釜山国际电影节的相关活动。

周日，保守派公民团体成员在首尔城北区柳海珍的家附近举行抗议活动，要求将该电影从影院撤下。

这部电影以 1974 年刺杀时任总统朴正熙的未遂事件为中心，当时的第一夫人柳英秀在事件中遇难。

官方调查结论是文世光是单独行动，并受到与朝鲜有关的指示，但这部电影暗示政府和情报官员可能参与其中。

发布于2026年10月5日下午5:04（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月5日下午5:05（韩国标准时间）

周一，首尔一家影院张贴了电影《刺客》的海报。（纽西斯通讯社）

据其经纪公司周一表示，备受争议的电影《刺客》的主演柳海镇表示，他将对周末聚集在他首尔住所外的抗议者采取强硬立场。

VAST娱乐公司表示，他们非常重视此事。“对于任何侵犯演员隐私、威胁其安全或损害其名誉的行为，我们都将采取坚决的立场。”该公司在一份声明中表示。

该机构补充说，他们正在收集相关的网络帖子和其他材料，并将采取一切必要措施保护柳承敏的权利和安全，防止非法行为。

周日，保守派公民团体的成员在首尔城北区柳贤振的家附近举行抗议活动，呼吁将这部电影从影院撤下，并要求其演员和制作团队道歉。

《刺客》讲述了1974年针对时任总统朴正熙的刺杀未遂事件。朴正熙在袭击中幸存下来，而时任第一夫人柳英秀不幸遇难。

官方调查结论认为，居住在日本的韩国人文世光是单独行动，并受朝鲜方面的指示。然而，这部电影暗示政府和情报官员可能参与其中——批评人士谴责这种描述歪曲历史，并基于他们认为的虚假说法进行诽谤。

文化部长蔡辉映周一也公开谴责了抗议者。

蔡在社交媒体账户上发文，呼吁警方和其他有关部门保护电影的演员和工作人员，并严格执法打击威胁和恐吓行为。

“人们有权评价一部电影，但威胁创作者的人身安全会破坏民主，”蔡写道。“如果对一部电影的批评发展到让抗议者到演员家中，侵犯私人生活并威胁人身安全，这种行为绝不能容忍。”

部长表示，他已要求有关部门采取安全措施，保障电影拍摄人员的安全，并对包括私人住宅外的威胁和恐吓在内的违法行为予以坚决回应。

周日，保守派公民团体成员在首尔演员柳海镇的家门前举行抗议活动，谴责电影《刺客》。韩联社

批评人士在社交媒体上发布了大量恶意评论，呼吁抵制柳承敏代言的产品。他们还要求各公司取消与柳承敏的广告合同。

【封面故事】《刺客》制作方因剧中朴正熙密谋杀害妻子的情节面临调查

周一，由 19 个电影组织组成的联盟也发表联合声明，表达了与部长相同的担忧。

该联盟表示：“作品的评判权属于观众和社会。任何人的日常生活或安全都不应仅仅因为参与作品或表达观点而受到威胁。”

不断升级的舆论反弹已经扰乱了该片的宣传计划。出于安全考虑，制片公司取消了原定参加第31届釜山国际电影节开幕式和户外宣传活动的计划。

与此同时，该片仍位居韩国票房榜首，截至周一，观影人次已超过200万。