Hur Jin Ho’s The Assassin(s) has surpassed 3.4 million admissions at the South Korean box office, reaching its break-even point despite controversy over its portrayal of historical events.
According to the Korean Film Council, the thriller had attracted 3,401,825 moviegoers as of 7 AM KST on October 29th. The film passed 3 million admissions just 20 days after its release and now ranks among the four highest-grossing Korean films of 2026 by admissions.
Starring Yoo Hai Jin, Park Hae Il and Lee Min Ho, The Assassin(s) topped the weekly Korean film box office for five consecutive weeks before reaching the milestone in its sixth week. Its sustained performance has been driven by word of mouth, with audiences drawn to Hur’s suspenseful direction, the cast’s performances and a mystery that blends the real-life 1974 assassination of First Lady Yuk Young Soo with fictional elements.
The film has also gained recognition internationally. It was named runner-up for the International People’s Choice Award at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival and became the first Korean film in 22 years to open the Singapore International Film Festival.
Both Singapore screenings sold out, with a festival programmer praising the film as “one of the remarkable achievements of contemporary Korean cinema.”
The thriller was also invited to the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, the Paris Korean Film Festival and the Hawaii International Film Festival. Tickets for its Paris screening sold out within three minutes of going on sale.
However, The Assassin(s) has faced allegations of historical distortion since its release, with some viewers interpreting the film as suggesting that former President Park Chung Hee was behind the 1974 assassination of his wife.
The controversy prompted protests outside lead actor Yoo Hai Jin’s home by far-right groups and even calls for a search and seizure during a parliamentary audit.
The backlash was examined in the October 27th episode of MBC’s investigative program PD Notebook, where director Hur Jin Ho expressed surprise at the interpretation.
“I never expected that,” Hur said. “We held preview screenings for nearly 20,000 people before the release, and no one raised that issue.”
He added, “We also had a press screening. Of course, it’s a sensitive subject, but nobody asked that question. I’m wondering why it’s become such an issue now.”
Hur previously addressed the controversy on Newsroom, clarifying, “The higher-ups at the KCIA are not meant to represent the late former President Park Chung Hee. That’s not something I would even want to imagine.”
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