Over 30 Billion Won in Support for Snow Sports Since 2014
Backing the Establishment of a Base Camp for the 2026 Winter Olympics
On January 16, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dongbin received a plaque of appreciation from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee in recognition of his contributions to the development of winter sports in South Korea and the nurturing of athletes.
The presentation ceremony, held at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was attended by Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, who presented the plaque to Chairman Shin. The plaque was awarded in high appreciation of Lotte’s sponsorship of the South Korean national team participating in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, which helped establish a foundation for athletes to focus solely on their challenges and contributed significantly to the advancement of domestic winter sports.
As the president company of the Korea Ski & Snowboard Association, Lotte has provided over 30 billion won (approximately 30 million USD) in sponsorship for ski and snowboard events since 2014. This comprehensive support has included providing equipment for athletes, improving training conditions, covering international competition expenses and prize money, and strengthening athlete development systems, all of which have helped enhance the international competitiveness of Korean snow sports.
In 2022, Lotte established the Lotte Ski & Snowboard Team and directly supported the recruitment of promising next-generation athletes. The company provides systematic support tailored to each athlete’s stage of development and ensures a stable training environment, allowing athletes to focus solely on improving their performance.
In fact, Lotte’s ongoing support has led to visible achievements in international competitions. In 2018, Lee Sangho won a silver medal in snowboard at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, becoming the first Korean athlete to win a medal in a snow event at an international competition. Building on this, Choi Gaon won the 2023 International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup, and Jung Daeyoon secured a silver medal at the 2025-2026 FIS Mogul World Cup. Most recently, Lee Seunghoon claimed Korea’s first-ever gold medal in freestyle ski at the 9th Winter Asian Games' halfpipe event in 2025, further demonstrating strong performances at international events.
President Yoo Seungmin stated, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to Chairman Shin Dongbin of Lotte Group for encouraging and supporting the dreams and challenges of the South Korean athletes participating in the upcoming Winter Olympics," and added, "Lotte Group has been a significant driving force behind the growth and increased competitiveness of winter sports in our country."
Lotte and the Korea Ski & Snowboard Association are working to ensure that athletes achieve excellent results at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held next month. They have supported overseas training camps and participation in World Cup events that serve as Olympic qualifiers. Additionally, they plan to establish dedicated support centers in Italy, where the Olympics will be held, by dispatching coaching staff for each event, providing conditioning equipment and experts for athlete fitness management, and ensuring the supply of training materials and food, all to create a base camp where athletes can perform at their best.
Chairman Shin stated, "Lotte has continued its support to broaden the base of snow sports in Korea, foster promising athletes, and enhance their skills. As our athletes have recently achieved great results in international competitions, I sincerely hope they will also perform well at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics next month," he said, expressing his gratitude for the plaque of appreciation.
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