South Korean cinematic maestro Park Chan-wook is set to make history as he takes on the prestigious role of President of the Competition Jury for the 79th Cannes International Film Festival. Announced on Thursday, February 26, 2026, this marks a significant milestone as the 62-year-old director becomes the first Korean to lead the jury of the main competition at the esteemed European film event.

The acclaimed filmmaker, celebrated for his distinctive style in movies like 2004's Oldboy, which earned the Grand Prix, and 2022's Decision to Leave, for which he won Best Director, has a long and decorated history with Cannes. His vampire romance Thirst also secured the Jury Prize in 2009. Park Chan-wook succeeds French actress Juliette Binoche in this prominent position.

Festival president Iris Knobloch and artistic director Thierry Frémaux praised Park, stating, “Park Chan-wook's inventiveness, visual mastery, and penchant for capturing the multiple impulses of women and men with strange destinies have given contemporary cinema some truly memorable moments.” Park himself expressed his anticipation for the role. “To be enclosed in a theatre to watch films, and enclosed again to engage in debate with the members of the jury, this double, voluntary confinement is something I await with great anticipation,” he shared in a statement. The 79th Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to take place from May 12 to May 23, 2026.