Yoo Hae-jin's 4.5 Billion Won Seongbuk-dong House Re-examined Amid 'The Assassin(s)' Controversy

As the controversy over historical distortion surrounding the film 'The Assassin(s)' spreads to protests in front of lead actor Yoo Hae-jin's residence, interest in his private space is also growing. Beyond criticism of the work, as the protest space expands to the residential area where the actor actually lives, the controversy surrounding the boundary between freedom of expression and privacy protection is also intensifying.

On the 4th, a conservative civic group held a protest near Yoo Hae-jin's residence in Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, demanding the suspension of the screening of 'The Assassin(s)' and apologies from the production team and actors. Following a request from Yoo Hae-jin's agency, the police activated personal protection measures, providing a smartwatch, registering him in the 112 system, and strengthening patrols around his residence. However, dedicated personnel have not been separately deployed.

In this process, the purchase history of the detached house in Seongbuk-dong where Yoo Hae-jin resides is also receiving renewed attention. In October 2023, Yoo Hae-jin purchased a detached house consisting of one basement floor and two ground floors in Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, for 4.5 billion won. The house has a land area of 496㎡ (approximately 150 pyeong) and a total floor area of 322.38㎡ (approximately 98 pyeong). As no collateral mortgage was established on the registry, it is presumed that the purchase price was secured without financial institution loans.

At the time, the house drew interest partly due to the change in lifestyle compared to Yoo Hae-jin's days of obscurity. Yoo Hae-jin previously shared an anecdote of living in a single room with a 1 million won deposit and 100,000 won monthly rent during the time he moved to Seoul to begin his acting career. After establishing himself as a representative actor of Chungmuro following a long period of obscurity, he was introduced as an example of a life turnaround for securing a large detached house in a traditional wealthy area of Seoul.

Seongbuk-dong has long been considered a representative low-density residential area in Seoul, with a concentration of embassy residences and large detached houses. It is known as a preferred area for celebrities and wealthy individuals for privacy protection due to its relatively low floating population and many independent residential spaces. Because of these characteristics, houses in this area are closely linked to the resident's privacy beyond being simple real estate assets.

The situation where Yoo Hae-jin's Seongbuk-dong house is being mentioned again is therefore even more delicate. In the past, the purchase price of 4.5 billion won, the 150-pyeong land size, and whether it was a cash purchase were topics of conversation, but now, the fact that it is the actor's private living space is being highlighted more importantly than the house itself. This is because concerns are being raised that as the debate surrounding the work moves to the front of the actor's house, the residential space could turn into a site of public criticism.

In particular, debates continue over how far the evaluation of a film should be linked to the responsibility of an individual actor. It is pointed out that while an actor can become a target of criticism for a work because they appeared in it, the act of visiting their actual residence to hold a protest or directly targeting their living space is a separate issue. The Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency also stated the position that any harm or threats against the actor will be strictly handled according to the law. The police explained that no illegal acts have been confirmed in relation to the protest so far.

Voices are also emerging from the film industry that criticism and invasion of privacy must be distinguished. While debates over the historical interpretation or directing methods of a work are areas that audiences, critics, and civil society can sufficiently raise, it is said that the nature of the debate itself could change if it expands into a method of pressuring by visiting the private residential spaces of the appearing actors.

The controversy surrounding 'The Assassin(s)' is currently expanding into a social conflict involving actors, production teams, and advertisers, beyond the historical evaluation of the film itself. In the process, personal protection measures by the police were activated for Yoo Hae-jin, and the past purchase history of the house he resides in was also recalled.

Above all, the noteworthy point is the boundary that exists between the film and the actor's private life. Yoo Hae-jin's 4.5 billion won Seongbuk-dong house was a real estate case showing his success in the past, but now its meaning as a private space where an actor spends his daily life has become greater. Through this incident, social questions are being raised again regarding how far criticism of a work can be allowed, and whether a private space can be dragged into a public arena of debate simply because someone is a public figure.

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