Hur Jin-ho Thanks Singapore Festival for Protecting Freedom of Expression as ‘The Assassin(s)’ Opens, SGIFF Chair Boo Junfeng Says: ‘We Refuse to Show Anything That Has Been Censored’
South Korean director Hur Jin-ho thanked the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) for standing by his political thriller, “The Assassin(s)”, which opened the festival’s 37th edition. The screening went ahead despite a request from South Korea’s conservative People Power Party to withdraw the film, renewing debate over artistic freedom and how cinema can interpret contested history.
SGIFF chair Boo Junfeng said the festival had considered objections and support before keeping the film in its programme, and reaffirmed its no-cut policy. The film revisits the 1974 killing of South Korean first lady Yuk Young-soo but does not identify a culprit; critics say its open ending implicates President Park Chung-hee or his government, while its producers say the film does not present its hypotheses as historical fact. The controversy has also affected the film’s appearances at South Korea’s Busan festival.
- SGIFF opened with “The Assassin(s)” despite pressure to withdraw it.
- The film’s interpretation of a 1974 killing has drawn criticism in South Korea.
- Festival chair Boo Junfeng defended the festival’s no-cut policy.
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