CJ, National Representative of 'K-Food·K-Culture'... Competing Together at the Paris Olympics

Official Partner of the Korean Sports Council Participation
Providing Korean Food such as Bibigo Ready Meals to Team Korea
Operating Korea House CJ Group Pavilion and Bibigo Zone

CJ Group will serve as the official partner of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and act as the 'K-Culture' national representative at the 2024 Paris Olympics, held from the 26th of this month until the 11th of next month.

On the 18th, CJ announced that it will support Team Korea athletes with Korean food products at the Paris Olympics and promote Korean culture and cuisine at the Korea House during the event.

Kim Hong-gi, CEO of CJ (right), is taking a commemorative photo with Lee Ki-heung, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, after signing an official partner sponsorship agreement.
[Photo by CJ]

7 Years Sponsoring the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee... Cheering for Medals with Korean Food

CJ will provide various food items for Team Korea at this Olympics. CJ CheilJedang presented Bibigo packages consisting of various products such as Bon Galbitang, Wang Gyoja, Whole Shrimp Dumplings, and Rice Tteokbokki to the swimming team at a media day event held at the Jincheon Training Center in June. During the Olympics, Korean food will also be available anytime for Team Korea athletes at the Korea House athlete lounge.

CJ Group has supported the national team in partnership with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee for seven years, including this Olympics. CJ CheilJedang became an official sponsor (convenience food category) of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee in 2017 and started sponsorship from the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. It also supported the national team with various food products at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Since 2023, CJ Corporation has been listed as a first-tier official partner (holding company category) of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. Last year, CJ held a 'Bibigo·Gourmet Day' at the Jincheon National Training Center to provide special meals to athletes in training, and at the Hangzhou Asian Games, it set up a booth inside the athlete village offering rice, stew, side dishes, and snacks, providing a variety of CJ products.

Exterior view of Korea House operated by CJ Group in downtown Paris during the 2024 Paris Olympics period [Photo by CJ]

Leading the Spread of 'K-Culture' in Europe

The Korea House, set up in the heart of Paris, will serve not only to support the national team but also as a 'national promotion pavilion' to introduce Korean culture and cuisine to visitors from around the world during the event. CJ is participating as the title sponsor of Korea House and jointly developed the key visual for Korea House. It will also engage in various joint marketing collaborations, including on-site promotions and global digital expansion. Within Korea House, dedicated promotional spaces for CJ Group and 'Bibigo'?the 'CJ Group Pavilion' and 'Bibigo Zone'?have been established to convey the message that CJ is the best K-culture icon.

At the CJ Group Pavilion, globally popular CJ Group’s mainstream products and content (K-food, K-beauty, K-drama, K-movie, K-pop) will be showcased through videos, images, poster walls, and photo booths. The Bibigo Zone, inspired by Korean 'markets,' will present a space where visitors can experience the taste and value of Korean cuisine through K-street food, which is currently gaining interest in Europe.

The gala dinner at the Korea House opening ceremony on the 25th will be hosted by CJ CheilJedang’s Korean food globalization project, 'Cuisine K.' Cuisine K is a project launched by CJ CheilJedang in May 2023, aiming to have people worldwide enjoy Korean food at least once or twice a week, based on the philosophy of CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun. Promising Korean chefs are discovered and nurtured through this project. Young domestic chefs will introduce the taste and charm of Korea to guests from around the world gathered to celebrate the opening of Korea House.

Foundation for Becoming a Sports Powerhouse: Supporting Basic Sports

CJ has consistently supported amateur basic sports beyond professional sports. Since 2010, it has steadily supported winter sports such as freestyle mogul skiing, skeleton, and snowboarding, and currently supports 34 athletes across seven sports, including swimming, breaking, tennis, and athletics (shot put).

In June last year, CJ CheilJedang signed official partnerships with the Korea Swimming Federation and, in November, with the Korea Skating Union, providing various products to support athletes’ training camps and participation in competitions.

At the Paris Olympics, Hwang Sun-woo (swimming), An Byeong-hun (golf), and Kim Hong-yeol (breaking) will challenge for medals as members of 'Team CJ,' the Korean national team supported by CJ.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.