Kim Ju-won, artistic director and CEO of the Korea Ballet Festival, has been appointed as the new director of the Korean National Ballet.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Minister Choi Hwi-young presented the letter of appointment to Kim as the new director and artistic director of the Korean National Ballet on the morning of the 6th. Her term runs three years, through August 2029.
Born in Busan in 1977, Kim Ju-won graduated from Russia's Bolshoi Ballet Academy and joined the Korean National Ballet as a principal dancer in 1998. In 2006, she won the award for best female dancer at the Benois de la Danse, the most prestigious honor in the dance world. In 2024, she was appointed artistic director of the Busan Opera House Ballet and artistic director and CEO of the Korea Ballet Festival. She currently serves as a professor at Seoul Cyber University.
Minister Choi explained the reason for the appointment, saying, "As an artist who has long served as a principal dancer at the Korean National Ballet and grown alongside Korean ballet, the new director is a fitting choice equipped with field experience as well as expertise in education and arts administration." He added, "I expect she will help the Korean National Ballet establish itself as a national arts organization even more beloved by the public, and contribute to broadening the base of ballet and strengthening its international competitiveness."
