Kim Joo-won, artistic director of the Korea Ballet Festival (49·photo), has been appointed as the new director of the Korea National Ballet. After leaving the company in 2012, she returns after 14 years to lead it as both director and artistic director. With the appointment to the post left vacant after former director Kang Sue-jin stepped down in April, a globally renowned ‘star ballerina’ has once again taken the helm.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 6th that it had presented the letter of appointment to Kim, the new director and artistic director of the Korea National Ballet. The term of office for the director is three years.

After graduating from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Russia, Kim joined the Korea National Ballet in 1998 and served as a principal dancer until 2012, establishing herself as a leading ballerina of Korea. In 2006, she received the Best Female Dancer Award at the world-renowned dance awards ‘Benois de la Danse’, earning recognition for her artistry and skill. She was the second Korean female dancer to win the honor, following Kang Sue-jin in 1999.

Since leaving the company in 2012, she has taught as an associate professor in the Department of Dance Arts at Sungshin Women's University and has led the popularization of ballet through diverse original works and TV variety shows. Since 2024, she has served as artistic director and head of the Korea Ballet Festival and as artistic director of the Busan Opera House Ballet Company, broadening her scope from ballerina to arts administrator.

Minister Choi Hwi-young said, “The new director, Kim Joo-won, is an artist who has grown together with Korean ballet through her long service as a principal dancer at the Korea National Ballet, and she is the right person who possesses field experience as well as expertise in education and arts administration.”

Founded in 1962, the Korea National Ballet is the representative national ballet company of South Korea. The director post had been vacant since former director Kang Sue-jin stepped down in April after completing a 12-year term. With the appointment of the new director, Kim Joo-won, another world-class ballerina who received the Best Female Dancer Award at ‘Benois de la Danse’ has taken the directorship in succession.

As the post remained vacant for more than four months and the selection was delayed, controversy arose over alleged ‘parachute appointments’.

In June, members of the Korea National Ballet issued a statement in the name of all members, saying, “The next leader must understand the training system of a professional ballet company, the production process for performances, and the way repertoires are run,” and, “Please make deep understanding of professional company operations and artistic expertise the top criteria in the director selection process.”

On the same day, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism appointed Kim Eun-ha (59), head of programming at Gugak Broadcasting, as president of the network. The new president, Kim, graduated from the Department of Korean Traditional Music at Ewha Womans University and its graduate school. Joining Gugak Broadcasting in 2000, she built expertise through posts in Radio Production, Gwangju Gugak Broadcasting and the Standards and Audit Office, and she is currently running the organization as acting president. The term of the new president is three years.