Honorary Ambassador
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (POCOG) announced on May 22 that world-renowned Korean Soprano Sumi Jo has become an honorary ambassador for the 2018 Winter Games.
She was officially appointed to her role at a special event on May 22 at the Foreign Press Center in Seoul, which was attended by local and international media outlets.
Sumi Jo was born in South Korea and is known for her vocal talents as a coloratura soprano – someone with a very delicate and light tone who adds elaborate ornamentation to their singing often referred as a soprano leggero.
She has performed with the world’s best operas and orchestras, and in 2015 she was nominated for an Academy Award for her vocal recording on the movie Youth. With ten solo albums to her name, Jo is the most celebrated soprano from South Korea and is no stranger to major sporting events having performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Football World Cup in South Korea, the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing and the 2011 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Daegu.
She said, “I am thrilled to be an ambassador for PyeongChang 2018. To have the chance to help celebrate and promote Korean music, culture and sport to the world through the Games is a huge honor. It is going to be a wonderful experience being part of the fun and festivities next year.”
“Culture is one of the key pillars of PyeongChang 2018 as we aim to showcase Korean culture and creativity to the world. Sumi Jo is a global musical icon, and we are delighted that she is going to help us spread the word about PyeongChang 2018 to a new audience and be part of our cultural celebrations across Gangwon Province, POCOG President LEE Hee-Beom said.