Culture minister defends creative freedom amid controversy over film's historical inaccuracies

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- The culture minister on Wednesday defended creative freedom amid a growing dispute over alleged historical distortion in the Korean film "The Assassin(s)," saying the government should not interfere in the content of artistic works.

"There should be no restrictions on imagination and creative work," Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young said during a parliamentary audit into the ministry.

The film, which depicts a 1974 assassination attempt on then South Korean President Park Chung-hee that resulted in the death of the first lady, has faced strong criticism, mostly from conservatives, for implying that Park and the state intelligence agency were involved in his wife's death, in contrast to the established account that the assassin, Moon Se-kwang, was accountable for the fatal shooting.

Asked whether films based on historical events should enjoy unlimited creative freedom, Chae said, "The government does not intervene in the content of creative works in any way in South Korea where freedom of expression is guaranteed and prior censorship is strictly prohibited."

But Chae declined to rule on whether the film had distorted history, saying it was for the public and audiences to decide.

"If anyone feels they have suffered serious defamation, legal procedures are available," he said.

The minister also defended his decision to speak out on social media against protests outside the homes of cast members, including actor Yoo Hae-jin, and attempts to disrupt advertising activities involving the film's actors.

In the post on Sunday, Chae called on the police to take stern measures against any illegal acts by the protesters, saying, "Criticism of a film is free, but personal threats against its creators are the destruction of democracy."

He said his intervention was prompted by concern that criticism of the film had escalated into personal threats against cultural figures.

Members of the main opposition People Power Party sought to summon director Hur Jin-ho and other members of the film's production team as witnesses during the parliamentary audit on Wednesday, but the plan fell through due to opposition from ruling Democratic Party lawmakers.