South Korean director Park Chan-wook, seen here at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2026, received the highest cultural honor given by the French government on Sunday. Photo by Rocco Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
Renowned filmmaker Park Chan-wook has received the highest cultural honor given by the French government, becoming the fourth Korean to receive the prestigious award.
Park received France's Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest rank of the three-tier honor from the French Ministry of Culture, in a ceremony presided over by French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard on Sunday (local time), Reuters reported.
The ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, where Park is leading the jury as the first Korean to assume the role. The festival runs through May 23 in the southern French resort city.
Upon receiving the award, Park noted that his works have received tremendous influence from French films and philosophy, and said he is touched by how his works now seem to be influencing young French filmmakers.
