K-Culture Boom Drives Record Visitors to Korea House at Milan Winter Olympics

32,656 Visitors in 18 Days... An Average of 1,800 Per Day
Wave of Early Sold-Out Online Reservations, 90% Satisfaction Rate
Locals Enthralled by "Squid Game," K-Pop, and K-Beauty Experiences

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 26th that the "Korea House," which it operated together with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee in Milan and Cortina during the 2026 Winter Olympics, recorded the highest number of visitors among all Korea Houses at past Winter Olympics, drawing intense interest in K-Culture from foreign visitors.

The ministry stated that a total of 32,656 people visited Korea House, which was set up at Villa Necchi Campiglio in downtown Milan, Italy, over 18 days, attracting an average of about 1,800 visitors per day. In particular, all online advance reservations for 1,700 visitors per day for the entire period were fully booked just seven days after opening, after which the daily reservation capacity was expanded to 2,000 people. Korea House operated from February 5 to 22.

Looking at the composition of visitors, about three-quarters of the total were local Italians. As for the language used in satisfaction surveys, Italian and English accounted for 95%. Around 90% of respondents said they were "satisfied" with the operation of Korea House, and they showed especially strong responses to the diverse programs and content.

Foreign tourists participating in a hanbok experience event at Korea House in Milan, Italy, are posing for a commemorative photo. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Korea House also achieved meaningful results as a venue for sports diplomacy. For the first time at an opening event of Korea House, 13 International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, including IOC Executive Board member Spyros Capralos, attended. Even after the opening, key IOC figures such as IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., along with officials from international sports federations (IFs), national Olympic committees (NOCs) from various countries, and national teams, continued to visit, making it a focal point for the global sports community. Newly elected IOC Executive Board member Kim Jae-yeol supported the Republic of Korea's sports diplomacy efforts by attending the opening ceremony and major official events, and IOC Athletes' Commission member Won Yunjong held a press conference at Korea House following his election.

Korea House also faithfully fulfilled its role as a support base for Team Korea. It hosted four group cheering events for national teams, including short track speed skating and curling, heightening the atmosphere of support. It also held press conferences after snowboarders Choi Gaon and Yoo Seungeun and the national short track team won medals. On the final day, a closing ceremony was held to mark the successful conclusion of the Games and to commend the efforts of the athletes.

At this Korea House, hands-on programs showcasing the diverse charms of Korean culture proved especially popular. The Korea Tourism Organization and CJ collaborated under the concept of "K-Dailycation" to introduce the everyday lives of Koreans. A "K-Beauty" experience, which featured K-pop idol-style makeup and hair styling along with personal color consultations, drew 320 participants over five days. A K-pop cover dance experience held over four days attracted 600 participants, who learned choreography to music by "K-Pop Demon Hunters" and Jennie of Blackpink. A B2B (business-to-business) tourism event was also held, inviting local Italian travel agencies and media representatives, in an effort to link the promotions at Korea House to the future development and sale of Korea travel products.

K-Beauty experience event held at Korea House in Milan, Italy. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Korea National Museum Cultural Foundation showcased its "MU:DS" product line on-site and sold a total of 2,507 items, generating about 65 million won in revenue. In particular, the "Magpie and Tiger Badge," which had been popular in Korea amid the "K-Pop Demon Hunters" craze, sold out early during the event. Other items also sold evenly, including products featuring the traditional hat gat and mother-of-pearl, pouches decorated with the Irwolobongdo (Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks) motif, moon jar keychains, and items related to the Pensive Bodhisattva. Average daily sales at Korea House were about 3.61 million won, three times higher than the average daily sales of MU:DS products (about 1.2 million won) during the "Lee Kun-hee Special Exhibition" held at the Smithsonian Museum in the United States from November 2025 to February this year.

Korean-style street foods such as hotteok and eomuk (fish cake) were also very popular among visitors. In particular, on February 7, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwiyoung personally sold street food at Korea House to promote K-Food, further energizing the atmosphere on-site.

Choi Hwiyeong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (right), is selling street food at Korea House in Milan, Italy. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Hands-on traditional culture experiences leveraging the global popularity of "Squid Game" and "K-Pop Demon Hunters" also drew attention. Traditional games such as ttakji-chigi (paper tile flipping) and Gongginori (a traditional Korean jacks game) elicited explosive reactions from local visitors, and Italy's public broadcaster commented that "'Squid Game' has been recreated at Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan." Trying on Hanbok and the traditional hat gat was also among the most popular programs.

The ministry explained that interest in Korean culture naturally flowed into Korea House, and that there was a series of positive evaluations regarding the way the space blended Italy's historic architectural heritage with Korean content.

Minister Choi Hwiyoung said, "On the Olympic stage, where the eyes of the world are focused, we were able to vividly feel the stature of Korean culture and Korean sports through Korea House," adding, "At the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, we will build on the experience and achievements from this year to operate a Korea House where the appeal of K-Sports and K-Culture come together."