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Korea House to open Feb. 5 in Milan for Winter Olympics

Published: 27 Jan. 2026, 11:14 Updated: 27 Jan. 2026, 18:16

This image, provided by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee on Jan. 27, shows the promotional poster for the Korea House, to be set up in Milan during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in northern Italy [KOREAN SPORT & OLYMPIC COMMITTEE]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the national Olympic committee announced Tuesday they will jointly operate a hospitality house in northern Italy during the upcoming Winter Games.

The Korea House will be set up by the ministry and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) inside Villa Necchi Campiglio, a historic house museum in Milan owned by the nonprofit Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), or the National Trust of Italy. Sports Minister Chae Hwi-young and KSOC President Ryu Seung-min will be on hand for the Korea House's official opening Feb. 5, the day before the start of the 25th Winter Olympics.

They will be joined by about 100 domestic and international sports officials, including members of the International Olympic Committee, heads of national Olympic bodies and leaders of international sports federations.

The Korea House will close shop Feb. 22, the day of the closing ceremony for the Olympics.

Korea first ran the Korea House at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. It functioned mostly as an office for KSOC staff and held press conferences for Korean medalists. It has evolved over the years into a venue promoting Korean tourism and culture and a hub for sports diplomacy.

The historic mansion will hold official receptions, while its outdoor tennis court will be used to promote culture and tourism. A lounge area for Korean Olympians will be set up in the basement.

Korean figure skaters set to compete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics pose for photos after their joint press conference at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong on Jan. 7. From left: Lee Hae-in, Shin Ji-a, Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Hyun-gyeom. [YONHAP]

The ministry and the KSOC said a large number of IOC members and leaders of national Olympic committees will visit the Korea House amid the growing global interest in Korean culture.

The ministry and the KSOC have designated Feb. 17, Lunar New Year's Day, as "Korea Day" and will invite visitors to experience Korean traditions, ranging from sebae, the formal Korean bow, to folk games.

The Team Korea promotion space will feature an exhibition of the official national team uniforms and will host a viewing party for major events. Then on Feb. 22, the Korea House will celebrate the country's Olympians with its official partners and sponsors in attendance as well.

Cultural programs for visitors include K-pop-inspired makeup and hairstyling and interactive K-pop classes.

MU:DS, the National Museum of Korea's official merchandise brand, will be showcased in the Korea House, with nearly 100 cultural heritage-inspired products, reinterpreted under five themes — meditation, celadon, white porcelain, mother-of-pearl inlay and "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025) — on display. Some of its most popular items, such as celadon pouches and key rings, will be available for purchase.

The Korea House will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through advance online reservations at www.koreahouse2026.com or on-site registration.

Yonhap