Park Chan-wook, the renowned South Korean director behind hits like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Decision to Leave, steps up as Jury President for the 79th Cannes Film Festival. This milestone crowns the first Korean filmmaker in this key role, signaling Cannes’ stronger embrace of Korean cinema. Park leads the charge to select the Palme d’Or winner on May 23 at the Grand Théâtre Lumière during the May 12-23, 2026, event.
Park boasts a rich Cannes track record, claiming the Grand Jury Prize for Oldboy (2004), the Jury Prize for Thirst (2009), and Best Director honors for Decision to Leave (2022) and The Handmaiden (2016). He ranks as the third Asian jury president, following Japan’s Tetsuro Kurakaki (1962) and Hong Kong’s Wong Kar-wai (2006). Festival organizers tapped him after Juliette Binoche presided in 2025 and handed the Palme d’Or to Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident.
Organizers announce the full jury lineup soon to join Park in judging entries. Korean cinema shines at Cannes with past triumphs like Im Kwon-taek’s Best Director for Chihwaseon (2002) and Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or for Parasite (2019). Global excitement builds as the 2026 edition ramps up.
