Korean actor Yoo Hae-jin placed under police protection amid film controversy

South Korean actor Yoo Hae-jin has been placed under police protection following threats and protests linked to controversy surrounding his latest film, The Assassin(s).

According to Yonhap News Agency, Seoul Seongbuk Police Station provided Yoo with a smartwatch, registered him on the emergency 112 system, and increased patrols around his residence. He was not assigned a dedicated police officer.

The safety measures came after conservative civic groups staged protests outside the actor's home and made threatening remarks online amid backlash over the film's alleged historical distortion.

The Assassin(s) revisits the 1974 assassination of then-first lady Yuk Young-su, the wife of late former President Park Chung-hee. Conservative groups have criticized the film for allegedly suggesting that Park was involved in his wife's death rather than the assassin, Moon Se-kwang, who was held responsible for the shooting.

The groups have called for the film to be removed from theaters and demanded an apology from Yoo, his co-stars, and the production team.

The controversy has also spilled over to businesses associated with Yoo. Protesters gathered outside Burger King's headquarters on Oct. 6, calling for companies to end their advertising contracts with the actor. Burger King later confirmed that it had ended its short-term contract with Yoo, while saying the decision was unrelated to the film controversy.

Meanwhile, film groups such as the Directors Guild of Korea rallied behind the team of The Assassin(s), calling for an end to personal attacks on the cast and crew.

“What we are facing now is not criticism or condemnation of a film, but attacks on individuals that have crossed the line,” the DGK said in a statement.

“Creators can be criticized for their work, but that criticism must not lead to the collapse of the creator’s personal life and livelihood,” it continued.

Yoo's agency, VAST Entertainment, also warned against the spread of false information, malicious personal attacks, insults, privacy violations, threats to the actor's safety, and defamation.

“We have confirmed that slander and falsehoods about our actor Yoo Hae-jin are being spread indiscriminately through online communities and social media,” the agency wrote in Korean. "We are continuously gathering relevant posts and evidence, and we plan to take all possible measures to protect our actor’s personal rights and safety from such illegal acts.

"We will continue to regularly monitor for acts infringing on our actor’s personal rights and safety, and we will continue to take necessary measures in response to any incidents we find." 

Yoo Hae-jin is a veteran South Korean actor known for films including Veteran, A Taxi Driver, Confidential Assignment, and The Pirates. He began his film career in 1997 and has since become one of Korea's prominent character actors, earning multiple acting awards throughout his career.