Park Chan-wook Appointed Cannes Film Festival Jury President, A First for Korean Cinema

Director Park Chan-wook has been appointed jury president of the Cannes Film Festival, one of the world’s “Big Three” international film festivals.

On the 26th (local time), the Cannes Film Festival’s organizing committee announced, “We have selected director Park Chan-wook as the jury president of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which opens on May 12.”

Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s executive director, explained the decision: “Park Chan-wook’s originality, visual command, and ability to capture the layered impulses of men and women bound by strange fates have delivered unforgettable moments in contemporary cinema.” He added, “Korea is a great film powerhouse that restores gem-like works every year and, in spaces that honor filmmakers, has produced major modern masterpieces that captivate millions of moviegoers,” expressing his affection for Korean cinema.

Accepting the role, Park said, “The reason a theater is dark is so we can see the light of cinema. We confine ourselves in a theater so that our souls can be liberated through the window that is film. This voluntary double confinement―locking ourselves in to watch movies, then locking ourselves in again to debate them with fellow jurors―is something I have long awaited with great anticipation.” He continued, “In an age of hatred and division, the simple act of gathering in a theater to watch a single film together―syncing our breath and heartbeats―is, in itself, moving and a universal expression of solidarity.”

This marks the first time a Korean filmmaker has served as Cannes jury president. Previously, Shin Sang-ok (1994), Lee Chang-dong (2009), Jeon Do-yeon (2014), Park Chan-wook (2017), Song Kang-ho (2021), and Hong Sang-soo (2025) have served as Cannes jurors.

Park has long-standing ties with Cannes, earning him the affectionate Korean nickname “Kkanne Park” (a Cannes-inspired moniker). His “Oldboy” won the Grand Prix in 2004, “Thirst” received the Jury Prize in 2009, and “Decision to Leave” earned him Best Director in 2022.

This year’s Cannes Film Festival runs May 12-23 in the resort city of Cannes in southern France. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)