Busan International Film Festival Appoints News Acting Festival Heads
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFI) has resolved its management crisis by dismissing managing director Cho Jongkook. Deputy director Kang Seung-ah will step in as acting managing director. In addition, program director Nam Dong-chul will serve as acting festival director, replacing Huh Moonyung who resigned last month.
The changes were voted on at Busan’s second general assembly of 2023 at the Busan Cinema Center on June 26. Nam and Kang were appointed under an amendment to the festival’s regulations: “In the case an accident befalls the festival director, the program director, and in the case of the managing director, the deputy director, will take over the respective duties.” The festival assembly also stated that Chairman Lee Yong-Kwan handed in his resignation. A newly appointed ‘Innovation Committee’ will discuss the festival’s future development and vision, and address some of the problems that have recently hit the event. The committee will also appoint a new chairperson and prepare for the festival’s 30th iteration, scheduled for October 4-13, 2023.
Busan has faltered due to a management crisis following Chairman Lee’s decision to appoint Cho Jongkook, alongside Huh Moonyung who has headed the festival for the past few years. Huh resigned in early May, shortly after the announcement, leading Lee to also offer his resignation due to his inept handling of the situation. However, it then emerged that the Center for Gender Equality in Korean Cinema is investigating Huh following a complaint by a festival employee over alleged sexual harassment. The festival issued an official apology last week for the turmoil. Later, a group of 18 Korean industry guilds and trade associations called for urgent structural reform of the festival and called for the dismissal of Cho, who they said had not been appointed through the proper channels.
In a statement, Lee apologized for the current situation and said he believed it would resolve with his resignation. However, the board and executive committee asked Lee to remain chairperson until after 2023. Lee was one of the founding members of BIFI, which has suffered a string of controversies over the past decade, including budget cuts and blacklisting imposed by Korea’s former right-wing government following its screening of the documentary The Truth Shall Not Sink With Sewol.