Macquarie Group of Companies, Korea has become one of only two Global Partners of the World Taekwondo Federation under a sponsorship agreement announced today by the two organisations.

Macquarie Group of Companies, Korea will be a Global Partner for five years in a demonstration of its long-term commitment to Korea, said WTF President Chungwon Choue.

“Macquarie’s involvement with the WTF will be a huge boost for Taekwondo, as it will enable us to promote the sport better in Korea and overseas,” said Dr. Choue.

“This opens a new era for Taekwondo globally, and for that we are very grateful to Macquarie.”

John Walker, the Chairman of Macquarie Group of Companies, Korea, said Macquarie is excited about the agreement as it provided opportunities to deepen its ties with the Korean community.

“We’ve been looking for some time for more ways to demonstrate our commitment to ordinary Koreans, and we believe this initiative will allow us to do that,” said Mr. Walker.

“The most satisfying aspect of the agreement for me personally is that it gives us a great platform to expand our charitable activities in Korea, through the “Enhancing Young Lives” program.

“Most Korean families experience Taekwondo in some way. We hope that this agreement will allow us to make that experience even more rewarding for them.”

The multi-million dollar agreement is one of the largest-ever sponsorships of its kind by Macquarie globally. Samsung Electronics is the WTF’s other Global Partner.

The WTF has a global membership of 188 countries. There are approximately 60 million Taekwondo practitioners worldwide. Taekwondo is an Olympic sport and will feature at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The sponsorship agreement gives Macquarie rights to advertise, use event logos, and its own logo at all major championships except the Olympics. It also covers non-event rights to leverage the sponsorship globally.