For years, Korean cinema arrived at the Cannes Film Festival as a celebrated outsider, a source of visceral, high-concept energy that reliably jolted the traditional hierarchy. This year, as the 79th edition of the festival begins, that energy has been translated into institutional power. The most visible sign of this new status is the appointment of Park Chan-wook, the director of “Oldboy” and “Decision to Leave,” as the first Korean to serve as president of the main competition jury. His role as the festival’s lead arbiter marks a transition for the Korean film industry: It is no longer just a trend to be watched, but a standard-bearer for the medium. To turn this symbolic prestige into structural influence, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) launched an expansive commercial offensive on the Croisette. Operating from a dedicated pavilion in the International Village, the council is moving beyond the promotion of finished films toward a strategy of deep-rooted international integration. At the heart of this effort is the “KO-PICK” initiative, a program designed to embed Korean producers
