Huh Moonyung: Last News

Korea’s Busan International Film Festival issued a heartfelt statement today, promising to “do our best for the successful hosting” of this year’s edition of the October festival, which has been in turmoil for the past few months following a series of high-profile management exits.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has been through a fair amount of drama this year. 

Oh Seok-geun, director of Busan International Film Festival’s industry platform, Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), has resigned from his post, the latest in a string of resignations to rock the festival. 

South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival has moved to resolve its ongoing management crisis by confirming that managing director Cho Jongkook has been dismissed and will be replaced by deputy director Kang Seung-ah. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s biggest annual film event, may be headed for fresh turmoil following the announcement by festival chairman Lee Yong-kwan that he plans to resign. On Friday, the festival’s director Huh Moonyung announced his plan to resign and exit by the end of the month. The two high-level resignations follow the announcement a week ago that the festival would split the director’s job and appoint Cho Jongkook to the newly created position of managing director. “Festival director Huh Moonyung and chairperson Lee Yong-kwan have both announced their resignation, but neither have been processed yet,” a festival spokesperson confirmed to Variety.

Lee Yong-Kwan has submitted his resignation as Chairperson of South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the second high-profile exit in a week, after Executive Director Huh Moonyung tendered his resignation last Friday. 

Naman Ramachandran Huh Moonyung is set to step down from the position of director of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea, according to reports. Huh had been announced as director of the festival in 2021, following the departure of Jay Jeon, with the term expected to run until March 2024. The news of Huh’s departure arrives just days after Cho Jongkook, who had previous stints as secretary general of Busan Film Commission and Korean Film Council, being named managing director of the festival. While announcing the appointment of Cho, the festival had said that Huh would continue to oversee the official selection of films and festival events and discovery of prominent directors and films in Korea and Asia, while in the new MD position Cho would oversee the operation of the organization, such as corporate operation, general affairs, administration and budgeting. “The appointment of the MD will not only secure global competitiveness for BIFF as a worldwide film festival, but also focus its efforts on accomplishing its mid-to-long term vision and strategic task of becoming an ‘Asian film hub festival’, as announced last year,” the festival had explained in its announcement.

After two years of holding in-person but stripped down editions of the festival, South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF, October 5-14) is back in full force this year with a packed line-up of screenings, red carpets, parties, awards and industry events.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefLee Yong-kwan has been reappointed as chairman of the Busan International Film Festival for a further four years. He was one of the festival’s original co-founders back in 1996 and has held the chairman’s job since 2018. His renewal was agreed at a general assembly on Thursday.The next edition of the festival will run Oct.