'Roaring Currents' sued for portrayal of general

Descendents of Bae Seol, a 16th century military general, on Monday filed a defamation suit against the record-shattering domestic film “Roaring Currents” and its director Kim Han-min.

The descendents said that four scenes inaccurately depicted Bae Seol, who fought in battles against Japan.

The film depicts Bae as setting fire to a “turtle ship” – a warship used during the Joseon period (1392-1910) – and attempting to assassinate Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the hero on which “Roaring Currents” is based. The character is shot to death as he attempt to flee.

According to historical records, Bae left the front lines after getting approval from Admiral Yi. He was supposed to return to fighting, but instead fled. Though he was caught and executed two years later, the Joseon Dynasty recognized his contributions in battle.

The Bae family said it was bringing the case to court because it had not received an apology from anyone associated with the film.