The main South Korean delegation for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics departed for Italy on Friday, aiming to top the gold medal tally from four years ago. Led by Korea Skating Union President Lee Soo-kyung as chef de mission, the group of 45 athletes and officials left from Incheon International Airport.
The main delegation for South Korea's participation in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics departed for northern Italy on Friday, January 30, from Incheon International Airport, with ambitions to exceed the two gold medals won at the 2022 Beijing Games. A total of 45 athletes and officials, led by Lee Soo-kyung, president of the Korea Skating Union and serving as chef de mission, set off for the co-host cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The group included competitors in short track speed skating, speed skating, snowboarding, and skeleton, with 38 heading directly to Milan and seven traveling to Cortina d'Ampezzo via Paris, according to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC). The KSOC has set a target of at least three gold medals for the event. Speaking to reporters at the airport before boarding, Lee expressed optimism: 'I would love for us to win three gold medals, and I am counting on some surprising stars to emerge. And I will do my very best to support our athletes to accomplish this goal.' The former figure skater added that while current buzz around the Olympics is low, it could surge once competitions begin: 'Once our athletes start creating memorable moments and inspiring people, then I think there will be a ton of interest in the Olympics.' As of Tuesday, 71 athletes had qualified across six sports. Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan and speed skater Park Ji-woo, both in their third Olympics, will serve as co-flag bearers at the opening ceremony on February 6, with the Games concluding on February 22. The Milan-Cortina Olympics will be the most geographically spread out in history, spanning 22,000 square kilometers. Skating and hockey events will take place in Milan, while Cortina d'Ampezzo hosts curling, sliding sports, alpine skiing, and biathlon. The Valtellina Cluster will feature men's alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering, and the Val di Fiemme Cluster will cover ski jumping, Nordic combined, and cross-country skiing.
