Foreign media including the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse reported on the 25th (local time) that film director Park Chan-wook has been appointed jury president of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Park will serve as jury president of the competition section that decides the Palme d'Or, the top honor at Cannes.
Cannes Film Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux said in a statement that "Park's originality, visual direction, and ability to capture the multilayered impulses of men and women with strange destinies have delivered unforgettable moments in contemporary cinema," explaining the reason for the appointment.
They also said, "We are pleased to honor the cinema of a nation that has been deeply engaged with the questions of our time, and Park's outstanding talent."
According to the organizing committee, Park shared his thoughts on being appointed jury president, saying, "In an era of hate and division, I believe that the act of watching films together in a theater can move hearts and create a universal sense of solidarity."
Park is the first Korean to be appointed jury president of the Cannes Film Festival.
Park will lead the jury following internationally renowned French actor Juliette Binoche, who served as jury president last year.
Director Park Chan-wook forged a full-fledged connection with Cannes by winning the Grand Prix for Oldboy in 2004. He later won the Jury Prize for Thirst in 2009 and the best director award for Decision to Leave in 2022.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival will be held in the resort city of Cannes in southern France from May 12 to 23.