S. Korea reaches deals for hospitality house, catering centers in Milan during Winter Olympics

Ryu Seung-min, right, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), shakes hands with David Usai, director general of Fondo Ambiente Italiano, during a signing ceremony in Milan, June 26, for a deal to set up Korea House during the 2026 Winter Olympics inside Villa Necchi Campiglio in the Italian city, in this photo provided by the KSOC. Yonhap

The national Olympic committee announced Friday it has reached deals to set up a hospitality house and catering centers for its athletes during the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said its Korea House during the Feb. 6-22 Winter Games will be set up inside Villa Necchi Campiglio, a historic house museum in Milan owned by the nonprofit Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), or the National Trust of Italy.

The KSOC first operated Korea House during the 2004 Athens Olympics, and it mostly functioned as an office for KSOC staff providing support for athletes and hosted press conferences for South Korean medalists in the early days. For the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the KSOC set up the largest-ever Korea House and turned it into a cultural complex, with 15 private and public institutions offering a wide range of exhibitions, hands-on experience events and performances to promote Korean culture.

KSOC President Ryu Seung-min traveled to Milan this week to sign the deal with David Usai, director general of the FAI. The two also discussed ways to ensure a successful operation of Korea House during the Olympics, according to the KSOC.

Separately, the KSOC will set up kitchens to provide Korean meals for its Olympic athletes inside Notess Eventi, a restaurant in Milan, and Hotel Techa, also located near the athletes' village in the host city.

The KSOC has been bringing the taste of home to its athletes from makeshift kitchens in Olympic host cities since the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

The KSOC said Ryu also visited other venue clusters across Italy and met with Alejandro Blanco Bravo, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, for talks on bilateral sports exchange programs.