Hong Sang Soo, a 64-year-old director, has recently experienced two significant events in his life. Firstly, he welcomed the birth of his son with actress Kim Min Hee. Secondly, he has been appointed as a jury member for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, as announced by the festival's organizing committee. Hong is part of a panel that includes notable figures like French actress Juliette Binoche, American actors Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong, Indian director Payal Kapadia, and Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher.

This marks the sixth time someone from the Korean film industry has been chosen to serve as a jury member at Cannes. Hong's personal happiness at becoming a father coincides with this professional achievement. Despite public scrutiny due to his previous relationship status and legal issues, Hong has embraced fatherhood alongside Kim Min Hee, with whom he has been in a long-term relationship since collaborating on the film 'Right Now, Wrong Then' in 2015. Their son, born out of wedlock, poses questions about his family registry, given Hong's existing marriage status.