Director Hong Sang Soo celebrates dual milestones: Cannes jury appointment and birth of son

Director Hong Sang Soo (64), who recently welcomed the birth of his son, has achieved another major milestone by being appointed as a jury member for the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

On April 28th (local time), the Cannes Film Festival organizing committee announced through its official website the nine film industry figures from around the world who will serve as competition jury members this year. Hong was among the eight additional jurors revealed on this day.

Hong will join the panel led by French actress Juliette Binoche, alongside American actors Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong, Indian director and screenwriter Payal Kapadia, and Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher.

This marks the sixth time a figure from the Korean film industry has been appointed as a jury member for the Cannes competition section. Previous representatives included directors Shin Sang Ok, Lee Chang Dong, Park Chan Wook, and actors Jeon Do Yeon and Song Kang Ho.

For Hong, this appointment comes alongside personal celebrations. He recently had a son with actress Kim Min Hee (43). Earlier this year, it was reported that Kim Min Hee had naturally conceived Hong’s child. Despite public scrutiny, Hong was reportedly by her side throughout the process, from pregnancy confirmation to medical checkups. After the birth, sightings of the couple walking with their child attracted significant public attention.

Hong and Kim Min Hee have been in a relationship for nearly a decade since working together on the 2015 film ‘Right Now, Wrong Then’. They publicly acknowledged their relationship during the press conference for the 2017 film ‘On the Beach at Night Alone’, with Hong stating, “We are in love,” and Kim Min Hee affirming, “We are sincerely meeting and loving each other.”

However, Hong remains legally married, having lost his divorce case against his wife in 2019. Born in 1982, Kim Min Hee became a mother at the age of 43 but remains legally single. Consequently, their son is considered to have been born out of wedlock. It has not been disclosed whose family registry the child has been entered into.

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