Park Chan-wook, the visionary South Korean director behind Oldboy, Thirst and Decision to Leave, has been named President of the Jury at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. He is the first person of Korean descent to hold the position.
The appointment places Park alongside previous jury presidents including Spike Lee, Greta Gerwig, Cate Blanchett and Pedro Almodovar. In his new role, he will lead the selection of this year's Palme d'Or, widely regarded as the highest honour in international cinema, on May 23rd at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.
While Park has never won the Palme d'Or himself, his Cannes pedigree is formidable: the Grand Prix for Oldboy (2004), the Jury Prize for Thirst (2009), and Best Director for Decision to Leave (2022). His visual mastery and ability to capture the complexities of human nature have made him one of the most respected filmmakers working today.
Festival President Iris Knobloch praised Park's "inventiveness, visual mastery, and penchant for capturing the multiple impulses of women and men with strange destinies."
The announcement reflects South Korea's remarkable rise in global cinema, a trajectory Park has been instrumental in shaping alongside contemporaries like Bong Joon Ho, whose Parasite swept the 2020 Oscars. From K-pop to K-drama to K-film, Korean culture continues to reshape the global entertainment landscape.