World's Largest Museum Changes Leadership Amid Security Crisis

Laurence des Cars, director of the Louvre Museum—the world's most visited museum—resigned on the 24th. As the Louvre's first female director, she had faced months of pressure following a major theft in October last year and subsequent revelations of cascading security failures.

French President Emmanuel Macron accepted Des Cars' resignation, calling it "a responsible action at a time when the world's greatest museum needs a strong new start for stability, security, and modernization."

Crown Jewels Vanished in 8 Minutes

Last October, thieves stole eight pieces of French crown jewels valued at approximately €88 million (about 120 billion won) in less than eight minutes. The swift disappearance of these symbolic artifacts of French history starkly revealed the vulnerability of the Louvre's security system. The stolen jewels have yet to be recovered.

The problem went beyond the theft itself to the museum's structural issues revealed afterward. A French parliamentary investigation uncovered "systemic failures" including malfunctioning CCTV cameras, ignored security audits, and inadequate guard systems. The crisis deepened as staff strikes and ticket fraud scandals compounded the problems.

Modernization and Security: Challenges Facing the Louvre

The Louvre Museum is the world's largest cultural institution, attracting over 9 million visitors annually. However, this incident demonstrated that its vast and complex management and security systems have failed to properly respond to modern threats.

President Macron's "Louvre New Renaissance" plan aims for comprehensive modernization of the museum, but the plan itself has been controversial. Faced with urgent tasks of security enhancement and facility improvements, the Louvre must now prepare for a fresh start under new leadership.

Des Cars drew attention when she was appointed as the Louvre's first female director in 2021, but has stepped down after just four years due to this unprecedented security crisis. The global cultural community is watching closely to see who will become the Louvre's next director and how the museum will overcome this crisis.