By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Filmmaker and professor Park Chong-won was named president of the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) Thursday after winning the majority of votes in a preliminary election last month. He expressed a positive outlook despite recent controversies involving the school.
K-Arts became the subject of debate when its former president, Hwang Chi-woo, stepped down in May following an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The audit revealed a misappropriation of school funds and mismanagement of school affairs and curriculum, said the ministry. The state ordered disciplinary measures against several professors including Hwang, which provoked student protests.
``I can feel the weight on my shoulders,'' Park told reporters at a press conference Thursday when asked about the pressure of taking the job. But he expressed optimism, saying that ``communication can solve misunderstandings that arose during the audit'' and that the student protests, in as much as they were intended for the betterment of the school, ``should not be a big problem.''
As for the rehiring of Hwang, Park said it was difficult to say since his predecessor had filed administrative litigation that has yet to be settled.
Regarding the government's demand to stop the adoption of the U-AT project, which fuses arts and technology, Park said he would take it as an opportunity to look for an educational system that truly suits the school.
Over the course of his four-year tenure, the 49-year-old said he would refrain from exercising an authoritative style of leadership and would take into consideration various opinions from within.
As for issues at hand regarding the campus, degrees, and faculty, Park said he would coolly ponder solutions for one problem at a time.
He also plans to reenter the filmmaking scene with a new script, which is in the process of being completed.
Park earned his bachelor's degree at Hanyang University and his M.F.A. from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. He made a name for himself in the 1990s through works including ``Our Twisted Hero'' (1992), ``Eternal Empire'' (1995) and ``7 Reasons That Beer Is Better Than Girls'' (1996). He won the Special Jury Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival for ``Rainbow Trout'' (1999).
He is widely known for exploring themes involving communication and relationships among individuals and groups, and following completion of his 2001 thriller ``Paradise Villa,'' he began concentrating on teaching.
Park became a professor at K-Arts in 1995 and has gained administrative experience since becoming director of the filmmaking department in March.