Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) CHAE Hwi-young will visit the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games (2026 Winter Paralympics) on March 11 (Wednesday) to encourage the Korean national team and review the on-site support arrangements.

Team Korea has made a strong start to the Games. Para biathlete KIM Yun-ji made history as the first Korean female athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Paralympics. In Para snowboard, LEE Je-hyuk won a bronze medal—the country’s first-ever Paralympic medal in the sport—despite a collision during the race, continuing Korea’s remarkable results in snow events.

Minister CHAE will visit the competition venues to cheer on the athletes who have performed strongly since the start of the Games. He will attend the wheelchair curling mixed team event to support the athletes as they demonstrate intense concentration on the ice and watch the men’s and women’s Para biathlon sprint and pursuit events to encourage athletes competing in snow sports. He will then observe the women’s Para alpine skiing slalom and the Para snowboard banked slalom, cheering on athletes as they push beyond their limits on the slopes.

Inspecting On-Site Support at the Athletes’ Village and Korea House

Minister will also review on-site support system to ensure that athletes can maintain optimal condition and focus fully on competition. At the athletes’ village in Cortina, he will meet athletes who have undergone demanding training, listen to any concerns they may have, and confirm that the team’s operations center and medical support facilities are running smoothly. He will also visit Korea House, which serves as a base for sports diplomacy and a place of rest for athletes. There, he will review the Korean meal service and specialized support services, including the equipment repair center, and encourage staff supporting the team behind the scenes.

Marking 50 Years of the Winter Paralympics, Team Korea Opens a New Chapter for Korean Para Sports

The 2026 Winter Paralympics mark the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games, held in 1976. At this milestone event, the Korean national team is achieving its best-ever results at an overseas Winter Paralympics.

Minister CHAE said, “The ‘golden races’ our athletes are delivering on Italy’s challenging snowy courses demonstrate to the Korean people the value of a fighting spirit that transcends disability.” He added, “To ensure that the hard work our athletes have put in over the past four years with pride as members of the Korean national team will not go to waste, we will continue to place the highest priority on their health and safety and provide all necessary support until the end of the Games.”