Megabox apologizes for controversial bullet hole movie merchandise

Megabox, a South Korean cinema chain, has issued an apology following intense backlash over promotional merchandise for the film ‘Assassins’. The controversy centers on ‘original tickets’ that feature a design where a transparent overlay reveals bullet holes appearing on a depiction of the 1974 podium used by former President Park Chung-hee and the seat occupied by First Lady Yuk Young-soo at the time of her assassination.

Critics, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and various political figures, condemned the design as “senseless commercialism” and “immoral,” arguing that it trivialized a historical tragedy by turning the moment of the First Lady’s death into a collectible item. Some lawmakers called for the dismissal of those responsible and a full investigation.

In its apology, Megabox stated that the design was created under tight deadlines using limited images provided by the distributors without the staff having seen the film in its entirety. The company admitted to failing to grasp the gravity and weight of the historical tragedy. Megabox announced it will discard all remaining stock of the controversial tickets and implement stricter internal verification processes for future merchandise related to historical events.