Kang Sue-jin to step down as head of Korea National Ballet in April after 12 years

Kang Sue-jin to step down as head of Korea National Ballet in April after 12 years: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2026-02-26 11:47:27

▲ This photo of Kang Sue-jin, the seventh director and artistic director of the Korea National Ballet, is provided by Seoul City. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- Kang Sue-jin, the seventh director and artistic director of the Korea National Ballet, will step down in April after completing a 12-year term, the company said Thursday.

Kang will leave office on April 4, wrapping up her tenure that began in 2014.

A world-renowned ballerina, Kang joined the Stuttgart Ballet in 1986 at the age of 18 as its youngest member. In 1999, she was named best female dancer at the Benois de la Danse, often dubbed the “Academy Awards of dance.”

Appointed as successor to former artistic director Choi Tae-ji in 2014, Kang expanded the company’s repertoire by introducing works by leading choreographers, including John Neumeier’s "The Lady of the Camellias," George Balanchine’s "Jewels" and John Cranko’s "The Taming of the Shrew."

Since 2015, she has also overseen the Korea National Ballet’s choreographer development initiative, the “KNB Movement Series,” aimed at nurturing emerging choreographers.

Her achievements also include expanding the number of full-time positions to enhance job stability and strengthening private sponsorship for the company.

After stepping down, Kang plans to teach and mentor younger generations as a professor at Seoul Cyber University.

“The past 12 years have been another passionate and joyful chapter in my life,” Kang said. “I am deeply grateful to the staff, dancers and audiences who trusted and supported me. I will devote myself to serving as a mentor for future generations across society and repay the support I have received as an artist.”