South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook has been appointed president of the main jury at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, making history as the first Korean director to lead the panel that will award the coveted Palme d’Or. The festival, one of the world’s most prestigious film events, will take place from May 12 to May 23, 2026 on France’s Riviera.
Park’s selection underscores his long and celebrated relationship with Cannes. He first made waves there with Oldboy, which won the Grand Prix in 2004, and has returned repeatedly over the years with critically acclaimed films. His work Thirst earned the jury prize in 2009, The Handmaiden became a favorite on the Croisette in 2016, and he took home the Best Director accolade for Decision to Leave in 2022.
Festival leaders praised Park’s cinematic craft, noting his striking visuals, bold storytelling and deep engagement with human emotions and moral complexity. In selecting him as jury president, they also celebrated the broader rise of Korean cinema on the global stage.
Park takes over the role from French actress Juliette Binoche, whose 2025 jury awarded the Palme d’Or to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. As president, Park will lead the international jury that reviews the competition lineup and selects this year’s top honors.
His appointment is expected to bring a mix of rigorous artistic judgment and a global perspective to what remains one of cinema’s most influential gatherings.