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▲ At a gala dinner event held on the 5th (local time), a day before the opening of the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics in Italy, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (back row, 4th right) attended with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry (front row, 6th right), Italian President Sergio Mattarella (front row, 7th right), and U.S. Vice President JD Vance (front row, 5th right). Taking commemorative photos with top leaders and businesspeople from each country.
© Italian Presidential Office website
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Reporter Jeong Min-woo of Break News = Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong interacted with top figures from each country and global entrepreneurs at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics in Italy, which opened on the 6th (local time), and began strengthening sports diplomacy and global networks.
Chairman Lee attended the gala dinner hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the 5th to commemorate the opening of the Olympic Games as a representative of Samsung Electronics, the only domestic company to be the IOC’s top sponsor (The Olympic Partner, TOP).
The event was attended by heads of state from around the world, including IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, as well as U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Qatari King Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Polish President Karol Nabrocki, and Hungarian President Thomas Schjörk.
Global entrepreneurs who attended included TCL Chairman Li Dongsheng, Allianz Chairman Oliver Bathe, Omega CEO Raynaud Ashliman, Enheuser-Busch InBev Chairman Michel Duqueris, Enheuser-Busch InBev Chairman Gao Fei Chairman Meng Yu, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Procter & Gamble CEO Shailish Yeurikar, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney, Deloitte CEO Joseph Ukuzoglu, and Coca-Cola Chairman James Quincy.
A business official said, “The IOC Gala Dinner is more than a simple social gathering, but a venue for behind-the-scenes diplomacy where the global situation and business issues are discussed. Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s attendance will be a great help in expanding Korea’s sports diplomacy capabilities as well as Samsung Electronics’ global status.”
Previously, Chairman Lee visited the region and carried out sports diplomacy during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. At the time, Chairman Lee also attended a global business luncheon held at the Elysee Palace in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron and met with global businessmen such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincy, YouTube CEO Neil Mohan, Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks, and LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault, and worked hard to expand the global network to prepare for the future.
Samsung Electronics provided the ‘Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition’ to athletes participating in the Paris Olympics through the Victory Selfie program, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 received global attention as athletes took selfies with the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Chairman Lee, who had been to the Paris Olympics, said when he returned to Korea, “I felt good because our athletes did well at the Olympics.” He added, “It was rewarding because the marketing of taking selfies with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 seemed to have gone well.”
Samsung has steadfastly supported the Olympics for generations since the late late Chairman Lee Kun-hee, and plans to continue its sponsorship until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA.
Chairman Lee met with IOC President Thomas Bach in 2018 and extended the Olympic sponsorship contract, which was scheduled to expire in 2020, until 2028. The reason Samsung continues to sponsor the Olympics is to inherit and develop the will of former Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who said that as a leading Korean company, it should have a ‘sense of mission.’
In 1996, former Chairman Lee Kun-hee said, “Brand value is the source of corporate competitiveness,” and ordered the company to improve its image at a global level. In addition, President Seon played a significant role in Korean sports diplomacy while serving as an IOC member from 1996 to 2017. In particular, Chairman Seon is evaluated as having greatly contributed to the selection of Pyeongchang as the host site for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s relationship with the Olympics began with a local sponsorship contract for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Afterwards, in line with former Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s policy of strengthening brand marketing, Samsung Electronics signed a top sponsor contract with the IOC in 1997. The IOC selects one TOP company in each field and grants exclusive marketing rights, and Samsung Electronics is the only company included in the IOC TOP in Korea.
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Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong to Engage in Sports Diplomacy at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong strengthened his sports diplomacy and global network by interacting with world leaders and global business leaders at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which opened in Italy on the 6th (local time).
Lee attended the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gala dinner on the 5th to commemorate the opening of the Olympics, representing Samsung Electronics, the only Korean company to be an IOC Top Sponsor (The Olympic Partner).
The event was attended by world leaders including IOC President Kirsty Coventry, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, President Karol Nabrocki of Poland, and President Tomas Szczyk of Hungary.
Global business leaders in attendance included TCL Chairman Li Dongsheng, Allianz Chairman Oliver Bate, Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, ENHANCER InBev Chairman Michel Douqueris, ENHANCER-Busch InBev Chairman Gao Fei Mengyu, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Procter & Gamble CEO Shailishi Yeyurikar, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney, Deloitte CEO Joseph Ukuzoglu, and Coca-Cola Chairman James Quincey.
A business insider said, “The IOC Gala Dinner is more than just a social gathering; it’s a forum for behind-the-scenes diplomacy, where global affairs and business issues are discussed. Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s attendance will be a significant boost to Samsung Electronics’ global standing and to expand Korea’s sports diplomacy capabilities.”
Chairman Lee previously visited Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics to engage in sports diplomacy. At the time, Chairman Lee attended a global business luncheon held at the Elysee Palace in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. He met with global business leaders including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, YouTube CEO Neil Mohan, Eli Lilly CEO Dave Riggs, and LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault, focusing on expanding his global network to prepare for the future.
Samsung Electronics provided the “Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition” to athletes participating in the Paris Olympics through the Victory Selfie program. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 garnered global attention as the athletes took selfies with it.
Upon his return from the Paris Olympics, Chairman Lee said, “I was delighted that our athletes performed well at the Olympics. The marketing campaign for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 selfies seemed to have been successful, so it was rewarding.”
Samsung has been a consistent Olympic sponsor since the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee, and plans to continue its sponsorship through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In 2018, Chairman Lee met with IOC President Thomas Bach and extended the Olympic sponsorship contract, which was scheduled to expire in 2020, until 2028. Samsung’s continued Olympic sponsorship is intended to uphold and advance the legacy of former Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who emphasized the importance of a “sense of mission” as a leading Korean company.
In 1996, Chairman Lee Kun-hee instructed Samsung to enhance its global image, stating, “Brand value is the source of corporate competitiveness.” He also played a significant role in Korea’s sports diplomacy as an IOC member from 1996 to 2017. He is credited with significantly contributing to Pyeongchang’s selection as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s relationship with the Olympics began with a local sponsorship agreement for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Following Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s emphasis on strengthening brand marketing, Samsung Electronics signed a top-tier sponsorship agreement with the IOC in 1997. The IOC selects one top company from each sector and grants it exclusive marketing rights. Samsung Electronics is the only company in Korea included in the IOC TOP.
date: 2026-02-09 00:38:00