Megabox has officially apologized for the controversy surrounding the original ticket design for the film 'Assassins' and has decided to dispose of the remaining tickets. The design, which featured bullet holes over an image reminiscent of the assassination of Yuk Young-soo, faced criticism for commodifying a historical tragedy as a movie merchandise.
In a statement released on October 4, Megabox acknowledged, "We deeply failed to grasp the seriousness and weight of historical tragedies and horrific events," and expressed sincere apologies to those who felt discomfort and to those who suffered during the incident.
The controversial original ticket was a free merchandise item offered on a first-come, first-served basis to viewers of 'Assassins.'
The ticket included an image reminiscent of the memorial site from the 1974 assassination of Yuk Young-soo, overlaid with a transparent sheet displaying bullet holes. When placed over the ticket, the bullet holes appeared to overlap with the podium, seats, and the national flag, leading to criticism that it was inappropriate to use a historical event where Yuk was shot as a theme for entertainment merchandise.
Megabox explained that due to a tight production schedule, the staff did not have the opportunity to view the film prior to creating the merchandise.
The company clarified that the merchandise was produced using a limited image provided in consultation with the distributor and production company.
Most of the original tickets were reportedly sold out on the day of the film's release. Megabox has decided not to offer the remaining tickets to audiences and will dispose of them entirely.
To prevent a recurrence, the company will establish internal procedures.
Megabox stated, "In the future, we will implement internal procedures to verify the social and ethical impacts when producing original tickets that utilize historical events or figures."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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