Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in Promote Korea Through Traditional Music and K-Pop at Milan Gala

The 2026 Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics figure skating gala featured a special performance by two Korean skaters on the 22nd (Korean time) in Milan, Italy. Cha Jun-hwan of the Seoul City Hall team, who finished 4th in men’s singles, and Lee Hae-in of Korea University, who placed 8th in women’s singles, showcased Korea’s traditional beauty and energetic culture to the world through traditional Korean music and K-Pop.

Cha Jun-hwan performed to the melody of “Not a Dream,” a track featuring vocals by musician Song So-hee that incorporates traditional Korean music. Dressed in a white top and black pants, he expressed his free-spirited personality through a combination of triple jumps, step sequences, and spins. Cha Jun-hwan said, “I chose a song that could introduce Korea at this global festival.” He added, “As a representative athlete at this Olympics, festival for people around the world, I wanted to perform with a song that could showcase Korea, and thankfully I got the chance.” He also noted that compared to the Pyeongchang Olympics gala 8 years ago, “as a more mature athlete, I participated more in choreography based on my past experiences.”

Lee Hae-in displayed the vibrant appeal of K-Pop using the soundtrack from Netflix’s animation *KPop Demon Hunters* as background music. She transformed into a “reaper” by wearing a black hat, black fan, and black robe, before changing into a white crop top and shorts in the second half to deliver a dazzling dance that earned applause from the audience. Lee Hae-in smiled brightly and said, “It was incredibly special to perform at my first Olympics, let alone at a gala.” Four years prior, she had secured two Olympic spots on her own but missed those stages after finishing 3rd in the national selection competition. Her chance to compete was still uncertain just one month before the event.

This appearance at the gala marked the first time in 8 years since the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics that Korean skaters had achieved such a result. Cha Jun-hwan finished 4th in men’s singles with a final score of 273.92 points, delivering his third Olympic performance despite severe pain in his right ankle. This improved his previous best ranking for Korean men’s figure skating, which he set at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, by one place to 5th. Lee Hae-in realized her dream of being remembered as a “happy skater” through her performance in Milan.