Director Park Chan-wook has received the Commandeur, the highest rank of France's Order of Arts and Letters, becoming the fourth Korean to receive the honor.
The French government awarded Park the Commandeur, the highest grade of the Order of Arts and Letters, on Monday, local time.
The Order of Arts and Letters was established by the French Ministry of Culture in 1957. It is awarded to individuals who have contributed to the development of culture and arts in France and around the world. The order is divided into three ranks — Commandeur, Officier, and Chevalier — with Commandeur being the highest.
Among Koreans, former Korea Culture and Arts Foundation Chairman Kim Jeong-ok received the Commandeur in 2002, conductor Chung Myung-whun in 2011, and soprano Sumi Jo last year. Park is the fourth recipient.
Since his debut with "The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream" in 1992, Park has risen to the ranks of the world's master filmmakers with works featuring distinctive mise-en-scène and intense genre sensibilities, including "Joint Security Area" (2000), "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (2002), "Oldboy" (2003), "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2005), "Thirst" (2009), "The Handmaiden" (2016), "Decision to Leave" (2022), and "No Other Choice" (2025).
Park drew international attention by winning the Grand Prix at the 57th Cannes Film Festival for "Oldboy" (2004), the Jury Prize for "Thirst" (2009), and Best Director for "Decision to Leave" (2022). His achievements earned him the local nickname "Cannes Park."
This year, he was appointed as the first Korean to head the jury of the Cannes Film Festival's main competition, once again demonstrating his stature in world cinema.
