President of the Korean Sports Council in Yoo Seung Min 'Enhanced International Sports Diplomacy' at the Winter Olympics

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korea Sports Association (Chairman Yoo Seung Min) announced on the 3rd that it has expanded the scope of sports diplomacy in Korea by holding consecutive meetings with key figures in international sports during the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Chairman Yoo Seung Min held a series of meetings with newly launched IOC executive officials, including International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chairman Kirsty Coventry, new IOC Athletes Commission Chairman Faugasol Saez, IOC Vice Chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., and IOC Executive Committee member Li Lingwei. During the interview, they exchanged views on key issues such as international sports governance, a cooperative system between the IOC and the National Olympic Committee (NOC), strengthening sports cooperation in Asia, and supporting athletes.

In a meeting with IOC Executive Committee member Li Lingwei, they shared the experience of spreading the Olympic movement between Korea, China, and Japan, which led to 2018 Pyeongchang, 2020 Tokyo, 2022 Beijing, and 2024 Gangwon, and agreed on the need to strengthen sports cooperation in Asia.

In addition, in a meeting with Gene Sykes, president of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the host of the next Summer Olympics, he shared the preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and the 2034 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, exchanged opinions on strategies to utilize legacy after the Olympic Games, and sought practical cooperation by sharing experience in future competitions.

In a meeting with Thomas Weikert, chairman of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB), who has been linked to him while serving as an executive member of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Yoo Seung Min shared his experience in running Olympic-related policies and systems and discussed ways to expand mutual exchanges to improve performance between the two countries, focusing on Olympic sports. Based on this, the Korean Sports Council plans to sign an MOU with major European countries, including Germany, for exchanges and cooperation in winter and summer events.

The exchange network that the Korean Sports Council has established with the international sports community has also worked positively in the Korea House, which was operated during the tournament. The opening ceremony was attended by 13 IOC members, including IOC Executive Committee member Spiroz Capralos, and key figures, including IOC Vice Chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., IOC Vice Chairman Nawal El Mutawagel, and IOC member Sermien Ng, continued during the operation period.

Based on this, the Korean Sports Council expanded its cooperative network by conducting about 80 interviews and practical consultations with the IOC, NOCs in each country, International Federation of Sports (IF), Organizing Committee, International Institute of Sports Science and Technology (AIST), and LA City Council, and laid the foundation for the promotion of follow-up projects such as joint projects and training exchanges.

Meanwhile, at the 145th IOC General Assembly, Kim Jae-yeol, an IOC member, was elected as an executive member, Won Yoon-jong was elected as an IOC athlete member, and Korea's influence on the international sports stage was further expanded.

"The Olympics are an important diplomatic stage where world sports leaders gather," Yoo Seung Min said. "With this Winter Olympics, we have further strengthened the foundation for cooperation with IOC and major NOCs. Based on the formed network, we will continue to expand international sports exchanges and cooperation to improve performance," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.