(C) Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The "Korea House," operated during the Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics, closed on a high note, recording the highest number of visitors for any Winter Olympic Korea House. Jointly managed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, the Korea House welcomed a total of 32,656 visitors over 18 days from February 5 to 22, with a daily average of about 1,800 participants.
Online reservations were fully booked for the entire period within just seven days of opening, leading organizers to increase the daily capacity to 2,000. Approximately three-quarters of the visitors were local Italians, and 95% of survey responses were in Italian or English, highlighting the strong international participation. About 90% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the diverse programs and content.
The Korea House also served as a hub for sports diplomacy and athlete support. The opening ceremony was attended by IOC officials, including 13 executive board members, alongside representatives from international federations and National Olympic Committees (NOCs). It hosted group cheering events for short track and curling, as well as press conferences and the official closing ceremony for the national team.
Various programs promoting the charm of Korean culture were operated. The "K-Beauty" experience attracted 320 participants over five days, while 600 people learned choreography at the "K-Pop" cover dance event. The National Museum Cultural Foundation generated approximately 65 million KRW in sales for "MU:DS" merchandise, and products related to K-Pop Demon Hunters were also popular. Minister Choi Hwi-young personally participated in a "K-Food" promotion event on February 7.
Traditional culture experiences utilizing Squid Game and K-Pop Demon Hunters were highly popular, with Italian media and social media widely covering the success of the Korea House. Minister Choi stated, "We will continue to operate Korea House at the upcoming 2028 LA Summer Olympics to blend the charms of 'K-Sports' and 'K-Culture'."
(C) Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
(C) Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
(C) Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
(C) Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
