The Busan International Film Festival appointed Mr. Lee Yong-kwan, the former director of the festival, as its new Chairman and Mr. Jay Jeon, the former deputy director, asΒ new Festival Director at a Special Assembly held on January 31st.
One of the founding members of the festival, Mr. Lee Yong-kwan had worked at the Busan International Film Festival as program director and deputy director. Later, he became the Festival Director, but he had to step down in 2016 because of the political pressure caused by the screening of the film,Β The Truth Shall Not Sink with SewolΒ (a.k.a.Β Diving Bell) in 2014 in spite of demand from the city government to cancel the screening. He also worked as a professor of the Department of Theater and Film at Kyungsung University in Busan, Director at Cinematheque Busan and Dean of the Graduate School of Art at Chung-Ang University in Seoul. He is currently the Dean of the Im Kwon Taek College of Film and Media Arts in Dongseo University.
Mr. Jay Jeon, also a founding member of the Busan International Film Festival with Mr. Lee, was Director of Asian Film Market and deputy director of the Busan International Film Festival.
The Board of Busan International Film Festival formed a personnel committee last December 5thΒ to seek replacement for the former Chairman Kim Dong-ho and Festival Director Kang Soo-youn, who resigned right after the festival last year. Mr. Lee is to serve as a chairman for the festival for the next four years, and Mr. Jeon is to serve as a festival director for the next three years.
