Korea's athletes move into Olympic accommodations, make them a little more like home
![Kim Taek-soo, left, head of the Korean athletes village, and Lee Soo-kyung, chef de mission for Korea at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, wave the Korean national flag from a window at the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [KIM JONG-HO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/05/c21f7bb3-3565-472b-a790-feaafdc6c24c.jpg)
Kim Taek-soo, left, head of the Korean athletes village, and Lee Soo-kyung, chef de mission for Korea at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, wave the Korean national flag from a window at the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [KIM JONG-HO]
MILAN — With national flags on the windows and motivational slogans on the walls, Korea’s Olympic athletes are settling into their new clean and comfortable accommodations in Milan as they gear up for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The Games, which will take place across multiple locations, feature athletes’ villages in six regions in Italy: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Antholz-Anterselva, Bormio, Livigno and Predazzo. The Milan athletes’ village, which will host skating events and ice hockey, has been built in the Porta Romana district on a site spanning about 60,000 square meters (15 acres).
![The Korean athletes’ accommodations, unveiled to the media in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/05/78c978a7-254d-4b53-95b8-014bf46a68e1.jpg)
The Korean athletes’ accommodations, unveiled to the media in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics [YONHAP]
The village consists of six residential buildings and can accommodate some 1,500 athletes and officials. The Korean team is staying in a building near the entrance of the complex, sharing the same floor with teams from the Netherlands and Canada, among others. Korean short-track and speed skating athletes have already moved in, with figure skaters expected to arrive soon.
On Tuesday, the windows of the Korean team’s section of the village were decorated with the national flag and motivational slogans in Korean saying “Team Korea is on fire!” and “I’m so excited right now.”
![Support messages are posted in the lounge of the Korean team’s accommodations at the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [KIM JONG-HO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/05/e49f3e0c-b5a1-4bae-b724-ff67527c0232.jpg)
Support messages are posted in the lounge of the Korean team’s accommodations at the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [KIM JONG-HO]
The athletes’ village, which will be converted into student housing after the Olympic and Paralympic Games end, has a hotel-like ambience. Each room is compact but practical, furnished with two single beds featuring under-bed storage, a small table and a wardrobe.
“At first, I thought the rooms might be small, but the facilities are new, so overall satisfaction is quite high,” said Lee Soo-kyung, president of the Korea Skating Union and chef de mission for Korea at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. “The blankets felt a bit thin, so we prepared extra ones. The facilities are well-suited for athletes to rest comfortably, which is very helpful.”
A medical room equipped with three beds has been staffed by medical personnel from the national training center, with equipment such as shock wave and high-frequency therapy devices brought in as well. The gym was bustling with athletes from several countries warming up.
![Kim Min-seok, a speed skater who competes for Hungary, trains at a gym inside the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/05/79bbd4fb-9dca-4c96-b152-2ad76564ac18.jpg)
Kim Min-seok, a speed skater who competes for Hungary, trains at a gym inside the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3, three days ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [NEWS1]
![Short-track speed skater Choi Min-jeong trains at the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/05/bbbb6415-4e2c-41e5-87cd-43343ec1938d.jpg)
Short-track speed skater Choi Min-jeong trains at the Milan Olympic Village in Milan on Feb. 3. [YONHAP]
Korean athletes, including short-track speed skater Choi Min-jeong and speed skater Kim Jun-ho, along with speed skater Kim Min-seok, who competes for Hungary, were seen adapting to the new environment and using stationary bikes and other equipment.
The dining hall offers a wide selection of meat and fish dishes, as well as local Italian cuisine, including pizza.
The Games kick off on Friday and last through Feb. 22 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy, after which the Paralympics will take place from March 6 to 15.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JONG-HO, PARK LIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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