Hallyu (Korean wave) may be its latest cultural export but long before Psy’s famed swagger down the streets of Gangnam, South Korea was already uniting the world through taekwondo.
Seoul’s Kukkiwon – home to the World Taekwondo Headquarters – is the only taekwondo-dedicated facility in the country but will soon be joined by Taekwondowon, a hub focusing on the education, training and research of taekwondo. (Taekwondowon’s opening was originally scheduled for April 24 but at press time has been postponed due to the recent ferry incident.)
Located in Jeollabuk-do Province’s Muju, 2.5 hours from Seoul, the 230ha centre features a 5,000-seat arena, a 423-seat theatre, a museum, interactive training facilities, VIP rooms, a food court and an observatory with panoramic views of its surroundings. Apart from training programmes, the multipurpose space can be used to stage taekwondo-related events such as global championships and performances. The centre is managed by Taekwondo Promotion Foundation.
Welcoming the addition of sports-oriented facilities in South Korea, ETourism managing director, Jacky Lee, said: “We will likely use Taekwondowon for incentive tours, either for taekwondo interest groups or as a site for corporate incentives and teambuilding.”
