Seoul: South Korea’s top skating official was named the country’s chief delegate for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) announced that Lee Soo-kyung, president of the Korea Skating Union (KSU), will serve as South Korea’s chef de mission for the 2026 Winter Games, set to run from February 6 to 22 in Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Lee, 42, will be the first female to serve in that role for South Korea at an Olympics.

The KSOC said it considered Lee’s contributions to the development of sports both at home and abroad, her credentials as an international judge, her leadership, and her experience in both competition and administration.

A former figure skater and a figure skating judge, Lee took over as the KSU president in February this year. She has also worked on the KSOC’s board of directors and was recently elected as head of the Korean association of Olympic winter sports.

“I will try to offer my best support for our athletes so that they can all compete to the best of their abilities and do so with a sense of pride,” Lee said in a statement released by both the KSOC and the KSU. “I will carry out my duty as the chef de mission and make sure our athletes realize their goals while also living up to the Olympic ideals and doing our country proud globally.”