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4th Korea Open Int’l Taekwondo Championships Kick Off in Suwon

NBC-1TV News


The 4th Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships kicked off for a five-day run in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Korea on Nov. 1, 2008, drawing 1,092 athletes and officials from 37 countries.

The annual Korea Open, which takes place at the Suwon Gymnasium, is sanctioned by the World Taekwondo Federation and organized by the Korea Taekwondo Association.

Since its inception in 2005, the Korea Open has become of the well-established international taekwondo open competitions. In 2005 and 2006, the WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, which were inaugurated in 2006, were held immediately prior to the Korea Open.

Unlike previous Korea Open, poomsae matches were newly introduced, and kyorugi and poomsae matches are divided into Korean and non-Korean parts. Those who finished first and second place in poomsae and kyorugi parts will compete in the Champion’s Match.

The opening ceremony of the Korea Open was held at the Suwon Symnasium on Nov. 1, drawing such ranking taekwondo officials as WTF President Chungwon Choue; Mr. Joon-pyo Hong, president of the Korea Taekwondo Association; Mr. Dai-soon Lee, vice president of the WTF and chairman of the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, as well as Suwon Mayor Yong-seo Kim.

“Taekwondo is Korea’s gift to the world and it is no longer a sport solely for Koreans,” said WTF President Choue in his congratulatory speech. “At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a total of 128 athletes from 64 countries competed for 32 medals, of which athletes from 22 countries, including Afghanistan, won at least one medal. This demonstrates that technical levels of taekwondo have been evenly enhanced throughout the world and the fairness in taekwondo competitions has much improved.”

Dr. Choue said, “As a means to contribute to world peace through taekwondo and to give hope and dreams to youth around the world, the WTF launched the Taekwondo Peace Corps project this summer, which dispatched teams of taekwondo instructors to seven regions in five countries.” “In the coming winter, the WTF plans to dispatch the second Taekwondo Peace Corps to more countries for about two months.”

“With your support and affection, I am certain that our endeavor will have a positive effect on keeping taekwondo in the Olympic program after 2016 and forwards and in the 25 core sports,” Dr. Choue said.

KTA President Joon-pyo Hong said in his opening message that “The Korea Open is to promote friendship and technical exchange among taekwondo athletes of the world. I hope every participant enjoys the event to enhance the understanding of Korean history and culture.”

To commemorate the Korea Open, Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister In-chon Yu sent a congratulatory message, in which he said that “Based on the Taekwondo Promotion Basic Plan, the Korean government is doing its utmost to promote taekwondo as a global cultural asset, representing Korea, and as a multi cultural brand of tradition and culture beyond a mere sport.” “The Korean government will continue to expand its assistance to make the Olympic sport of taekwondo, which originated in Korea, beloved by more people of the world, especially by the youth as the future of taekwondo.”



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