The Taekwondo Promotion Foundation on April 29 held a ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the massive taekwondo facility Taekwondowon at T1 Stadium in Muju-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province. Attending were Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In Chon (fifth from left), Jeollabuk-do Gov. Kim Kwan-young, Rep. Ahn Ho-young, World Taekwondo President Choue Chungwon, heads of four taekwondo organizations, instructors from abroad, Olympic medalists, elders and high-ranking masters. (Jeollabuk-do Province)
By Yoon Seungjin
Taekwondowon, the global mecca of the nation’s martial art and sport taekwondo, has held a ceremony to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a pledge to achieve major progress going forward.
The Taekwondo Promotion Foundation (TPF) on April 29 held the event at T1 Stadium in Muju-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province, under the slogan “A decade of the ready stance, a leap forward for the next 100” to celebrate Taekwondowon’s anniversary.
Some 400 domestic and global taekwondo figures attended including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In Chon, Jeollabuk-do Gov. Kim Kwan-young, World Taekwondo President Choue Chungwon and Muju-gun Gov. Hwang In-hong to reflect on the complex’s decade-long history and discuss the future of taekwondo.
Starting things off was a performance by Jeonju University’s taekwondo demonstration team and a video congratulating the opening of Taekwondowon. Then came the Pledge of Allegiance, national anthem, commemorative and congratulatory speeches, commendation of meritorious people and presentation of plaques of appreciation.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In Chon on April 29 attended a ceremony at Taekwondowon’s T1 Stadium in Muju-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province, to mark the facility’s 10th anniversary and encourage taekwondo practitioners. (Heo Man-jin from Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
In his congratulatory speech, Minister Yu expressed his affection for taekwondo and pledged to work hard for its development.
“Taekwondo is the face and leading sport of the Republic of Korea, as well as a proud and presentable sport recognized all over the nation,” he said. “Over the next 10 years, we must further advance taekwondo through Taekwondowon and make it a sport loved by the public.”
“For the future of taekwondo, our plan is to make taekwondo an afterschool activity and launch a student care system while also building a permanent performance space for taekwondo.”
Minister Yu’s affection and interest in taekwondo attracted applause from the some 400 attendees, the head of Kukkiwon, the headquarters of World Taekwondo, and TPF delegates expressed their gratitude and pledged cooperation.
Jeollabuk-do Gov. Kim Kwan-young (left) and Taekwondo Promotion Foundation acting Chairman Lee Jong Gab on April 29 pose for a photo with a plaque of appreciation. (Jeollabuk-do Province)
During the ceremony, the provincial government presented a plaque of appreciation to the TPF for its contributions to the development of the complex.
Since its opening, Taekwondowon has developed into a national tourist destination with over 2.5 million visitors over the past 10 years. It is also the global mecca for taekwondo in attracting more than 20,000 foreign visitors per year for training.
Taekwondowon has also received official designation as a Korea Unique Venue, wellness tourist attraction and one of the nation’s Top 100 Tourism Destinations for 2023-24. It is also certified as a venue for youth training programs.
“We will continue to contribute to spreading and developing taekwondo through a variety of programs and events,” TPF acting Chairman Lee Jong Gab said.
He also announced his ambition to have the facility serve as a training base for the national taekwondo team ahead of international competitions including this year’s Paris Summer Olympics.
He added, “The Taekwondo Promotion Foundation will do all it can to help taekwondo, both as a martial art and sport, assume a stronger position with the goal of attracting a million visitors to Taekwondowon by 2030.”
scf2979@korea.kr
