Kim Joo-won, Artistic Director of Korea Ballet Festival, Appointed as New Head of Korea National Ballet

Kim Joo-won (49), artistic director and CEO of the Korea Ballet Festival, has been appointed as the new general director of the Korea National Ballet.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Minister Choi Hwi-young presented the letter of appointment to the newly appointed Korea National Ballet General Director and Artistic Director Kim Joo-won this morning.

The new general director's term is three years, lasting until August 2029.

Born in Busan, General Director Kim graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Russia and joined the Korea National Ballet as a principal dancer in 1998, performing actively for 15 years.

In 2006, she received the Best Female Dancer award at the Prix Benois de la Danse, one of the most prestigious honors in the dance world.

In 2024, she was appointed and served as the artistic director of the Busan Opera House Ballet and the artistic director and CEO of the Korea Ballet Festival, and she is currently a professor at Seoul Cyber University.

Minister Choi stated, "The new general director is an artist who has grown alongside South Korea's ballet scene while serving as a principal dancer for the Korea National Ballet for a long time. She is the right person equipped with both field experience, education, and expertise in arts administration." He added, "We expect that the Korea National Ballet will establish itself as a national arts organization loved even more by the public, contributing to the expansion of the ballet base and strengthening international competitiveness."

The Ministry also announced that Minister Choi appointed Kim Eun-ha, head of the broadcasting headquarters at Gugak Broadcasting, as the president of Gugak Broadcasting and presented her with the letter of appointment on the same day.

The new president's term is three years.

Newly appointed President Kim graduated from Ewha Womans University with a bachelor's and master's degree in Korean traditional music (Gugak) and joined Gugak Broadcasting in 2000, building her expertise through roles in the Radio Production Department, Gwangju Gugak Broadcasting, and the Gugak Broadcasting Review and Audit Office.

She has served as the head of the broadcasting headquarters and acting president of Gugak Broadcasting, and is currently active as an adjunct professor in the Department of Korean Music at Seoul Institute of the Arts.

Gugak Broadcasting, which launched in 2001, operates regional broadcasting stations in Gwangju and Daejeon in addition to its headquarters in Seoul, and carries out projects to popularize traditional Korean music and promote the traditional music cultural industry through broadcasting.

(Photo: Provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.