Two of South Korea’s most talked-about entertainment releases are now at the center of a heated public debate over how they use the country’s painful modern history. A petition to stop the broadcast of SBS drama ‘Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia‘ has been filed with the National Assembly, while the film ‘The Assassin(s)’ continues to face boycotts and legal complaints over its story about a 1974 political assassination. The two cases have opened a fresh argument about where the line sits between creative storytelling and historical sensitivity.
A Medical Drama Draws a National Assembly Petition
The controversy around ‘Doctor X’ began with its sixth episode, which aired on October 24, 2026. The episode introduced a patient named Oh Sang-beom, played by Ha Seong-gwang, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head during the May 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement and lived for decades with a bullet fragment lodged in his brain.
The episode showed flashback scenes of 1980 Gwangju, including tear gas, bullets hitting civilians, and a character boarding Bus No. 518 toward the May 18th National Cemetery . A fictional former president named Ji Doo-seok, who many viewers linked to former President Chun Doo-hwan, was also brought into the same hospital as the victim .
A petition titled “Request for the Suspension of the SBS Drama Doctor X” was posted on the National Assembly’s public petition system on October 24 and reached the 100-supporter threshold required for review by the following day . The petitioner argued that the May 18 material was not connected to the show’s main storyline.
“Episode 6 of ‘Doctor X’ included content unrelated to the main plot about the May 18 Democratic Uprising, which caused discomfort among many viewers.”
The petitioner also claimed that the original Japanese drama focused on the lead character’s medical skills, and that the Korean adaptation added the May 18 story to push a political viewpoint .
Production Team’s ‘No Fear’ Post and Record Ratings
Lee Ok-gyu, the chief producer at Studio S, posted the drama’s poster on social media shortly after the episode aired, along with the words “no fear” . He did not explain what the message meant, but many interpreted it as a response to the criticism .
Actor Han Jeong-su publicly defended the drama, posting on social media:
“Requesting a broadcast suspension? Are you crazy? Why are you making such a fuss again?”
Despite the backlash, ‘Doctor X’ continued to perform strongly. Episode 6 recorded a nationwide household rating of 19.5 percent, a new record for the series, according to Nielsen Korea . The show stars Kim Ji-won as a brilliant surgeon who takes on the case .
‘The Assassin(s)’ Faces Boycotts and a Police Complaint
The film ‘The Assassin(s)’ has been under fire since its release on September 23, 2026. Directed by Hur Jin-ho, the thriller revisits the 1974 assassination attempt on then-President Park Chung-hee, which resulted in the death of First Lady Yuk Young-soo . The film suggests that a state agency, possibly the presidential office or intelligence authorities, may have been involved in the shooting .
The President Park Chung-hee Foundation released a statement expressing deep regret over the film for “distorting a historical tragedy” and called for an official apology and a suspension of screenings . The production team responded:
“There can be various interpretations and criticism given that the film is based on a historical case that involves actual figures, which we respect. But it is not a film made for a specific political purpose.”
The backlash has reached the cast. Lead actors Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Min-ho skipped events at the Busan International Film Festival in early October, and a conservative civic group planned protests outside Yoo’s home . A police complaint accusing the director, writer, and producers of defamation was filed by a conservative party member . The film slipped from the top of the box office amid the controversy .
Related Stories
View all articles about
A Wider Pattern of History-Related Backlash
The two cases are not isolated. In May 2026, MBC drama ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ faced its own historical distortion controversy, leading lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok to issue public apologies . Filmmakers have also spoken out about the growing trend. Around 20 Korean directors and film industry officials, including Chung Ji-young and Lee Myung-se, held a press conference at BIFF calling for an end to the politicization of historical films:
“We are concerned over the situation in which evaluation of the movie is expanding into a tool for political feuds. Audiences, not politicians, should judge.”
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young defended creative freedom during a parliamentary audit, saying the government does not intervene in the content of creative works .
The ‘Doctor X’ petition remains under review by the National Assembly, while ‘The Assassin(s)’ continues to screen in theaters and is still set as the opening film for the 37th Singapore International Film Festival .
Also Read: Doctor X Mafia in White Episodes 5 and 6 Recap: Na Dae-il’s Ketchup Revenge, Sang-beom’s Gwangju Secret, and Su-jeong’s Risky Surgery Trap
For more entertainment news and updates, keep reading VvipTimes.
Leave a Reply