President Yoon Suk-yeol thanked filmmaker Park Chan-wook and actor Song Kang-ho for winning the best director and best actor honors at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, saying that the accolades demonstrated the Korean film industry’s competitiveness.
Yoon lauded Park’s Cannes-winning film “Decision To Leave” in a message to him, stating it “proved the Korean film’s distinctive originality and remarkable competitiveness.”
Yoon said the best actor award “increased our pride in Korean culture and art by one level and provided a wonderful relief to the people who were tired of COVID-19” in a separate letter to Song.
Song won the award for the movie “Broker,” which was directed by the Cannes-winning Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Yoon also paid his respect to the director, actors and staff of “Broker” for their work.
It is the first time in the country’s cinema history that Korean films have taken home two titles at a time at Cannes. (Yonhap)