Korea House Shines at 'Aichi-Nagoya AG,' Drawing 18,000 Visitors and Properly Introducing South Korea

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

While the national team sweated it out on the competition fields, the Korea House outside the venues properly introduced South Korea to the world.

The Korean Sports & Olympic Committee successfully operated the Korea House in Nagoya, Japan, from September 18 to October 3, coinciding with the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games.

This Korea House was operated as a hub for supporting the South Korean delegation and sports diplomacy, showcasing various programs to promote Korean sports, culture, and tourism through collaboration with public institutional investors. In particular, it expanded its operational scope by creating a dedicated lounge for the delegation and their families for the first time in Asian Games history and enhancing exchanges with key figures in international sports.

■ Cumulative Visitors Reach 18,000; Diverse K-Content Wins Local Response

The Korea House, which opened at 'Lives Nagoya' near Legoland Japan in Nagoya, welcomed a total of 18,628 visitors during its operating period, with up to 2,104 visitors per day, reflecting high interest from local audiences.

This Korea House added significance by showcasing K-content across various fields, including culture, tourism, and food, in one place through collaboration with public institutional investors such as the National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation, the Korea Tourism Organization, and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation.

The National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation unveiled Team Korea collaborative products and MU:DS utilizing Korean cultural heritage, while the Korea Tourism Organization promoted domestic tourist destinations such as Cheongju, Gongju, and Buyeo in connection with direct flights to Nagoya and operated a photo booth. The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation introduced Korean food culture through experience programs including Korean food exhibitions, tastings, and songpyeon (Korean rice cake) making.

In addition, the venue hosted programs allowing visitors to participate directly, such as K-Sports experiences, K-POP dance classes, and traditional craft workshops, enabling them to experience Korean sports and culture in a more approachable way.

On September 25, a Korean Day event was held to celebrate Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). With the attendance of over 110 people, including the Consul General of South Korea in Nagoya, local overseas Koreans, and the South Korean delegation, activities such as songpyeon making, traditional folk game experiences, and K-POP performances were conducted to promote both traditional and popular Korean culture and expand exchanges with local overseas Koreans.

■ First 'Team Korea Friends & Family Lounge' at Asian Games; Expanded Support for Delegation

At this Korea House, the support scope for the delegation was expanded by establishing the Team Korea Friends & Family Lounge, a first in Asian Games history.

Going beyond existing delegation support centered on competition venues and the athletes' village, a separate space was prepared where not only athletes and coaches but also their families and friends could rest comfortably and interact. The lounge provided a resting area with snacks and beverages, along with customized convenience facilities such as a Team Korea photo zone and photo printing services.

A total of 588 people used the lounge during the operating period. A satisfaction survey conducted among users recorded a score of 98.9 out of 100. In particular, more than 95% of respondents answered that they were 'very satisfied,' and many expressed their desire for the lounge to be continuously operated at future international multi-sport events.

Based on the operational results and user feedback from this event, the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee plans to consider expanding support spaces for delegations and their families at future international multi-sport events.

■ Visits from Key Figures in International Sports such as IOC and OCA; Expanded Sports Diplomacy and International Exchange

The Korea House was also utilized as a hub for sports diplomacy where key figures in international sports interacted during the Asian Games. The opening ceremony on September 18 was attended by 180 domestic and international sports leaders, including 10 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), representatives from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of various countries, and officials from International and Asian Federations (IF/AF).

In particular, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the OCA, officially visited the Korea House on September 24 to hold a conversation with Yoo Seung-min (Chairman), subsequently toured the Korea House to experience K-culture, and encouraged the South Korean delegation.

Additionally, the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on October 2 to strengthen sports exchange and cooperation between the two countries. The two institutional investors plan to expand cooperation in various fields based on this agreement, including human resource exchanges such as coaches, referees, and sports science experts, joint training, and mutual use of sports facilities.

The Korean Sports & Olympic Committee is determined to further strengthen cooperative relationships with international sports organizations and NOCs of various countries based on the international sports network established through this Korea House operation.

■ Expanded Team Korea Support and Promotion through Group Cheering and Medalist Press Conferences

The Korea House was also used as a space to publicize the competition results of the South Korean delegation and for local overseas Koreans and visitors to cheer together for Team Korea.

Group cheering sessions for major matches were held during the tournament, creating an atmosphere where local overseas Koreans and visitors could cheer together for Team Korea. Additionally, press conferences were held for 20 medalists across a total of eight sports, including e-sports, sailing, skateboarding, shooting, 3x3 basketball, canoeing, modern pentathlon, and techball, to inform the media of the athletes' performances and dialogue outcomes.

Furthermore, by supporting on-site reporting and coverage activities by domestic and international media, it contributed to widely publicizing the achievements of the South Korean delegation and the Team Korea brand.

Yoo Seung-min (Chairman) stated, "This Korea House was a support space for the South Korean delegation and a venue for exchange where we communicated with the world through sports and introduced the diverse charms of Korea." He added, "It is particularly significant that content was diversified through collaboration with multiple public institutional investors and a new space was prepared for the delegation and their families."

He continued, "Based on this experience, we will strive to further develop the role and functions of the Korea House so that delegation support, sports diplomacy, and promotion of South Korea can be carried out organically."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original