Korean flag bearers feel honored to represent country at Olympic opening ceremony

South Korean athletes and officials for the 2026 Winter Olympics march into Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan for the opening ceremony, Feb. 6. Yonhap

MILAN — When South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan was first told he would carry the national flag during the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, he found the news "a bit unreal."

Then in Milan, Friday night, it all became reality, as Cha joined speed skater Park Ji-woo, a fellow three-time Olympian, as co-flag bearers for South Korea at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

"It is truly an honor," Cha was quoted as saying by the Olympic Information Service. "The flag bearer stands at the front of the team, and I hope that the positive energy from this role can be passed on to all the athletes of South Korea."

Cha, 24, will be competing in his third consecutive Winter Games. He placed 15th on home ice at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and then ranked fifth four years later in Beijing, the best performance by a South Korean male figure skater.

Cha finished in second place at his final Olympic tuneup competition, the International Skating Union Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, in Beijing, Jan. 25.

He is scheduled to take the ice Saturday for the men's singles short program in figure skating's team event in Milan.

The delegation of Korea arrives at the Opening Ceremony at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 6. EPA-Yonhap

"Even if you have competed at the Olympic Games before, every edition feels special," he said. "For many athletes, it is a dream stage, so I hope everyone can fully enjoy those moments."

Park said she felt "very grateful" to be chosen as a flag bearer at her third Winter Games.

"When I heard I would be doing this together with Jun-hwan, I felt we needed to show good charisma during the ceremony," Park said. "I feel a strong sense of responsibility. Many former flag bearers achieved good results at the Games."

South Korean athletes and officials for the 2026 Winter Olympics march into Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan for the opening ceremony, Feb. 6. Yonhap

Park, 27, also made her Olympic debut in 2018 and fell short of reaching the final in the women's mass start. At the Beijing Games in 2022, Park once again skated in the semifinals of the mass start and finished 30th in the 1,000 meters. This year, Park is scheduled to compete in the 1,500m and mass start.

Though Park did not win a medal at those two competitions, she gained some valuable perspectives.

"For the younger athletes especially, I want to say the same thing: enjoy it, have fun and make great memories at the Olympic Games," she said.

Cha and Park each had the national flag, Taegeukgi, face-painted on their cheeks, and fellow athletes and team officials trailing them took pictures with their phones and waved at the stands.

Korean athletes walk during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6. AP-Yonhap

Sports Minister Chae Hwi-young, in attendance as the South Korean government representative, got up from his seat to greet the country's Olympians.

South Korea has 71 athletes in six sports competing across northern Italy, with four clusters of venues hosting events on ice, snow and track.

Reflecting the spread-out setup of these Olympic Games, the Parade of Nations took place simultaneously at four different locations, so that athletes in skiing or snowboarding, for instance, wouldn't have to travel far to Milan, which will only host ice events.

South Korea had 35 athletes and 15 officials taking part in all four parades -- in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo.

South Korea was the 22nd nation at the main parade in Milan, based on the Italian alphabet. The country's official name in Italian is "Repubblica di Corea" and it went by "Corea," in between Colombia and Croatia.

Korean athletes enter, during the Olympic opening ceremony, for the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6. AP-Yonhap