Director Park Chan-wook, the Jury President of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, has been awarded the ‘Commandeur’, the highest grade of the French Order of Arts and Letters!
According to the French Ministry of Culture on the 17th (local time), Director Park received this prestigious honor from the French government this morning.
Established by the French Ministry of Culture in 1957, the Order of Arts and Letters recognizes individuals who have contributed to the global development of art. It consists of three ranks: Commandeur, Officier, and Chevalier, with Commandeur being the most distinguished.
Director Park is only the fourth Korean to receive the Commandeur, joining an elite list that includes Kim Jung-ok (former head of the Korea Culture and Arts Foundation) in 2002, conductor Chung Myung-whun in 2011, and soprano Sumi Jo in May last year.
Since his debut with ‘The Moon is… a Dream of the Sun’ (1992), Director Park has captivated audiences with his unique mise-en-scène and genre-bending storytelling in films like ‘Joint Security Area’ (2000), ‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’ (2002), ‘Oldboy’ (2003), ‘Lady Vengeance’ (2005), ‘Thirst’ (2009), ‘The Handmaiden’ (2016), ‘Decision to Leave’ (2022), and ‘I Can’t Help It’ (2025).
After winning the Grand Prix at the 57th Cannes Film Festival for ‘Oldboy’ (2004), he became a key figure in the Korean cinema renaissance alongside directors Bong Joon-ho, Hong Sang-soo, Kim Ki-duk, and Lee Chang-dong. With a Jury Prize for ‘Thirst’ (2009) and Best Director for ‘Decision to Leave’ (2022), he is affectionately known as ‘Cannes Park’ for his deep ties to the festival. This year, he further cemented his global status by becoming the first Korean to serve as the Jury President for the competition section.
