Culture Ministry to Hold Send-off Ceremony for Team Korea at Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics

Olympia Hall at Olympic Parktel on January 22
Minister Choi Hwi-young: "We Will Cheer Together With the People"

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will hold the "2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics Team Korea Send-Off Ceremony" at 3:00 p.m. on January 22 at the Olympia Hall in Olympic Parktel, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Minister Choi Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will attend the ceremony to encourage the national team. Approximately 100 people will participate, including Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, Lee Su-kyung, head of the delegation (and President of the Korea Skating Union), executives of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and officials from various sports organizations.

This Winter Olympics will take place from February 6 to 22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The Korean delegation will consist of around 140 people, including about 60 athletes competing in six sports. The main delegation will depart on January 30 and return on February 23.

The Ministry has established a close cooperation system with relevant agencies to ensure the safe participation of the delegation. Kim Dae-hyun, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is leading the task force, which operates jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Counter-Terrorism Center, the Ministry of Unification, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. On-site, a comprehensive situation room will be set up and operated together with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee to provide close support to the delegation throughout the event.

In addition, the Ministry and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee have established and are operating a crisis response manual to respond quickly and systematically to various crisis situations that may arise during the event. They have conducted advance training on recently changed competition rules for each sport and distributed sport-specific guidelines for responding to misjudgments. Joint response systems with relevant ministries have also been established to prepare for various situations, such as errors related to national symbols and athlete injuries.

To enhance the performance of the national team, the Ministry has implemented the "2026 Milano-Cortina Team Up KOREA" project since July last year, providing customized training equipment, overseas training, and support for participation in international competitions. In addition, psychological counseling support by sports psychiatrists has been expanded, along with close management based on sports medicine and science, and scientific, systematic support such as integrated performance analysis using artificial intelligence (AI).

To help the delegation adapt locally and maintain their performance, local meal support centers will also be operated. Considering that competition venues are spread across several regions, including Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Valtellina, meal support centers will be established for the first time in Olympic history at three locations where the venues are located. From February 6 to 22, these centers will provide approximately 3,500 servings of Korean meal boxes, helping athletes maintain optimal condition even in unfamiliar environments.

Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, "I hope Team Korea will compete safely and confidently on the ice and snow of Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo," adding, "Together with the people, I will wholeheartedly support the athletes to showcase their efforts and journey on the world stage."