Seoul, South Korea - A South Korean Christian group has filed for a court injunction to stop a movie distributor from showing The Da Vinci Code, saying it defiles the sanctity of Jesus Christ and distorts facts.
"The Da Vinci Code is a movie which belittles and tries to destroy Christianity," said the Rev Hong Jae-chul of the Christian Council of Korea, an umbrella group of over 60 Korean Protestant denominations.
Sony Pictures Releasing of Korea, the movie's local distributor, wasn't immediately available for comment but its public relations agency, News Communications, said it would wait for the outcome of the legal action.
Hong indicated the Christian group plans other steps in case the movie, starring Tom Hanks and Ian McKellen, is released as scheduled on May 18, but declined to give further details.
The Da Vinci Code is based on Dan Brown's international bestseller, which has sold more than 40 million copies since it was released in March 2003.
Allegations in the novel that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and has descendants have outraged many Christians and been dismissed by historians and theologians.
The Christian Council of Korea also asked other Christian organisations around the world to join efforts to block the screening of the movie. South Korea, with a population of 48 million, has 13 million Protestants and 4.6 million Roman Catholics.