Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho chase a hidden mastermind in 'Assassin(s)'

Three of Korea's top actors - Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho - are coming together in the political thriller 'Assassin(s),' a film inspired by the real 1974 Liberation Day shooting that changed the course of modern Korean history.

According to Yonhap News, the project is with acclaimed director Hur Jin-ho at the helm.

The 1974 Liberation Day assassination attempt

The film draws from the assassination attempt that occurred on August 15, 1974, during the Liberation Day ceremony at the National Theater of Korea. On that morning, President Park Chung-hee was delivering a commemorative speech when Moon Se-gwang - a Korean-Japanese second-generation immigrant - fired a pistol toward the stage.

Although his target was the President, the bullets struck and fatally wounded First Lady Yuk Young-soo.

In the ensuing chaos, several others were injured. Moon was apprehended on-site and later executed, but questions about his true motives and possible backing have remained unresolved for decades.

Pursuing truth through layered perspectives

In the film, Yoo Hae-jin portrays a seasoned detective who was present during the incident and becomes consumed by the hunt for the forces behind the attacker.

Park Hae-il plays a sharp, skeptical newspaper editor who uncovers contradictions between the official announcements and eyewitness reports. Lee Min-ho, in a rare investigative role, depicts an ambitious rookie journalist who stumbles upon documents suggesting a larger conspiracy behind the shooting.

Hur Jin-ho's bold shift in style

Director Hur Jin-ho, celebrated for his poignant works such as 'Christmas in August,' 'One Fine Spring Day,' and 'A Normal Family,' ventures into darker territory with 'Assassin(s).' Blending historical reality and emotional fiction, Hur examines how one national tragedy spiraled into a story of fear, deception, and unyielding pursuit of truth. The film, which began shooting in August, is slated for release in 2026.