SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- The 1974 assassination attempt on then South Korean president Park Chung-hee, which resulted in the death of the first lady, is one of the most high-profile events in the country's tumultuous modern history.
Director Hur Jin-ho's "The Assassin(s)" turns its lens on people caught up in the real-life event, in a mystery thriller that calmly traces the emotional trajectories of its fictional protagonists as they seek the truth behind the case.
The storyline unfolds along two intertwined threads -- one involving a group of journalists investigating the case and the other following a police detective who noticed uncanny details on the day of the accident.
This still, provided by Hive Media Corp., shows a scene from the Korean film "The Assassin(s)." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Park Hae-il, known to international cinephiles for his lead role in the Cannes-winning "Decision to Leave" (2022), stars as veteran journalist Kim Jae-hwan, while "Pachinko" star Lee Min-ho portrays Han Young-il, a rookie journalist from a wealthy and powerful family.
Yoo Hae-jin, who appeared in South Korea's most popular film of the year, "The King's Warden," plays Park Cheol-gu, a police detective loyal to both his nation and family and a long-time acquaintance of Jae-hwan.
"The Assassin(s)" begins as an ordinary Liberation Day ceremony held at the National Theater of Korea on Aug. 15, 1974, spirals into chaos after Korean Japanese assassin Moon Se-kwang (Park Jung-min) opens fire.
The government swiftly identifies Moon as the sole perpetrator and lays out evidence backing his crime, but refuses to clarify lingering doubts, including the whereabouts of a missing bullet and the unexplained circumstances surrounding the Korean Japanese national.
Viewers are invited to solve the mystery as though working on a jigsaw puzzle, piecing together the evidence uncovered by the dogged investigation of Cheol-gu and Young-il -- who were at the shooting scene -- and Jae-hwan.
This image, provided by Hive Media Corp., shows a poster for the Korean film "The Assassin(s)." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Given the repressive political climate of the 1970s, their efforts put them under constant threat. Intelligence officials stationed in the newsroom censor nearly every story before publication and Cheol-gu's colleagues are unfairly blamed, with one young officer suffering brutal torture.
The intimidation against the three escalates to a dangerous level as intelligence authorities threaten to shut down the newsroom and people who help them are attacked.
Cheol-gu's young son briefly disappears, making the whole family panic, but returns with his head shaved and saying "father's friend" took him out to buy treats in an unspoken warning for the police detective to stop.
Despite their suffering, the three refuse to back down. Jae-hwan and Young-il remain unwavering in their determination to defend journalism and pursue truth, while Cheol-gu remains committed to saving his colleagues who are on the verge of being fired.
This still, provided by Hive Media Corp., shows a scene from the Korean film "The Assassin(s)." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Hur, known for his clean and restrained direction, extends that cinematic style to "The Assassin(s)." Although the pace of the film races from the opening, its tone remains subtle throughout.
This sober approach proves effective in conveying the emotional journey of the three protagonists, gradually and densely building up a sense of desperation and yearning of those who lived in that era, ultimately making those emotions relatable to the audience in 2026.
The film is firmly committed to reconstructing the atmosphere of the 1970s. It incorporates footage of the 1974 incident and characters inspired by real people, including a high school student who was shot alongside the first lady.
This still, provided by Hive Media Corp., shows a scene from the Korean film "The Assassin(s)." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The visuals of the set, from the newsroom that was built for the film to the outdoor set of Cheol-gu's home, filmed at an old neighborhood before its demolition, invite viewers to fully immerse themselves in the era.
The film, meanwhile, boasts one of the most star-studded cameos in a Korean film -- featuring actors including Jung Woo-sung, Shim Eun-kyung, Shin Hyun-bin and not to mention Park Jung-min, who commands an overwhelming presence as the assassin despite having almost no dialogue.
This abundance of familiar faces may be a double-edged sword, making the film a more interesting watch for some but distracting for others.
Nonetheless, "The Assassin(s)" is a well-crafted piece that delves not only into modern Korean history but also investigative journalism, a less-explored theme in Korean cinema, while honoring those who walked through that turbulent era.