[비즈한국] Although the movie 'The Assassin(s)' and the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are entirely different in that one is a film and the other is a sporting event, they have coincidentally been linked by a common code. That code is the legacy of the Park Chung-hee era. The film 'The Assassin(s)' deals with the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo by Moon Se-gwang on August 15, 1974, while the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games sparked controversy over the military service exemptions for artists and athletes, which were defined by the 1973 'Act on Special Cases Concerning Military Service Obligations.' Of course, the issues and aspects of each are different.
The movie 'The Assassin(s)' was criticized for distorting historical facts. Based on this, there were petitions for injunctions to ban the screening, criminal complaints were filed, and a political party even emerged demanding that international film festivals cancel screenings of the film. There were even protests in front of the home of lead actor Yoo Hae-jin, alongside malicious comments and calls for boycotts of his advertisements.
At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the remarks made by the winning soccer players became an issue. Player Lee Gi-hyuk (Gangwon) said immediately after winning, "If we hadn't won the gold medal, I would have had to enlist in the army in 9 days upon returning to Korea. The exemption from military service was desperate for the players," and added with a laugh, "(Now) I don't have to go to the army." This caused disappointment among many soldiers and their families who are fulfilling their military duties. Player Yang Min-hyuk's (Westerlo) remarks were even more direct. He said in an interview, "I didn't think medals or trophies were important. I think I played the game only for the sake of the reward of military exemption."
While they were exempted from military service after winning four consecutive titles, this does not align with the original intent of the military service exemption. The purpose of the exemption is to promote national prestige. This is closely related to the "strong effects" of media. The "strong effects" theory that emerged in the early 20th century is also known as the "Bullet Theory" or the "Hypodermic Needle Theory." It refers to the phenomenon in which mass media has a direct, immediate, and powerful influence on the public. It emphasizes that the impact is not only as powerful as a bullet striking the heart, but as effective as injecting a drug directly into the body.
However, there was a problem with this theory. The Bullet Theory, which emerged in the 1930s when Hitler and Stalin seized dictatorial power through large-scale propaganda and agitation, considers human beings as passive and irrational subjects easily swayed by propaganda. It is premised on the idea that people change by accepting what the media says as is. Due to these limitations, the "limited effects" theory of media emerged, suggesting that the influence of media on the audience is minimal. It highlights that people can judge for themselves and use or actively satisfy their needs through media according to their own intentions and desires.
As seen in 'The Assassin(s)', the emergence of censorship during the dictatorial regime was a measure to limit the effects of the media based on the strong effects theory. At that time, there were few channels for the production, distribution, and consumption of information because media was limited, so the media's effect was arguably greater. This is why international sports events could achieve strong media effects through newspapers and television and serve as a means to promote national prestige. It was an era when the entire nation and the whole world watched games together on television. It can be called a product of the 20th-century mass media era.
On the other hand, the 21st century is an era of multi-media, fragmented into personal media. There is a growing tendency to move away from viewing international games as "national vs. national" contests, and instead, focus individually on the growth and achievement stories of specific sports and athletes. Now, promoting national prestige is a different issue. The powerful national promotion effect of the mass media era no longer occurs. Even coming in first place is not that important.
Perhaps because of this atmosphere, K-pop, which is often compared to sports, is also losing credibility in the "ranking game" of the Billboard charts and the Grammys. BTS and Stray Kids have gone so far as to refuse to submit their work to the Asian Pop category newly established by the Grammys. This is because the ways in which music is produced, distributed, and enjoyed have completely changed. In the past, Billboard rankings and Grammy awards were turning points for expansion, but now they are merely reflections. Especially in the younger generation, music is consumed via social media beyond digital content. Even without reaching No. 1 on Billboard, artists can sustain their careers thanks to fandoms, and strengthen their position through concerts rather than digital streaming. Even the Grammys, a league for music industry professionals, are losing their authority in the face of this fandom culture.
The attempt to build a wall in front of 'The Assassin(s)' is also based on the strong media effects theory, but it is questionable whether it is appropriate for the multi-media era of the 21st century. It also seems inappropriate in light of the Constitution and the spirit of the times. Restricting the free consumption of content is a violation of market order and prevents fair trade. Trying to block people from seeing the movie entirely, distorting ratings, and pressuring it not to be shown internationally are actions from an authoritarian era. It appears to be based on the 20th-century bullet theory. This is despite the fact that we cannot assume today's audience will blindly accept and believe the contents of a movie. There are voices expressing concern for teenagers, but teenagers are actually accustomed to finding, comparing, and examining various materials. The pragmatic younger generation will use and satisfy their needs through cross-verification.
The way forward for K-pop, as well as sports content, is to abandon 20th-century habits and systems and engage confidently. This is the realization that should be gained through the way K-pop artists like BTS proudly fulfill their military service. The era of promoting national prestige is over. South Korea has already moved beyond the stage where the national brand is promoted by a single sports match. Winning a game once does not significantly increase Korea's image or value. Movies should not be denied or canceled for overseas screening due to political opposition. Doing so actually damages South Korea's national brand.
The author Kim Heon-sik has spent his time wandering through or navigating the forest of pop culture phenomena since his 20s, with the expectation that there is a way to make the world a better place through culture. He continues on the same path with the same belief in the 21st century, where artificial intelligence and quantum computers are active.
※ The manuscript from an external contributor may differ from the editorial direction of this publication.