The World Taekwondo Culture Festival opened in Chuncheon on Sunday with an open competition kicking off the multi-day event.
The festival continues Monday with a World Taekwondo demonstration and breaking competition.
An official welcome ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, featuring an AI media facade performance and a celebratory concert by singer Kim Yeon-ja.
Wednesday and Thursday will host the World Taekwondo (WT)-sanctioned G4-rated World Cup Team Championship Series. The 2026 Chuncheon Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships follow from July 18, keeping the global taekwondo celebration alive throughout the month.
Sunday's open competition was held at the Air Dome of Chuncheon Songam Sports Town, drawing taekwondo athletes and enthusiasts from around the world. Sparring, poomsae and power-breaking events filled the venue with a festive atmosphere befitting a global taekwondo gathering.
The event is co-hosted by Chuncheon city and the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) and organized by the Chuncheon Leisure and Taekwondo Organizing Committee. Alongside the open competition — where rising talents and recreational practitioners tested their skills — the KTA also held its domestic breaking team selection trials, adding to the excitement in the arena.
Sunday's open competition featured individual and three-person team sparring events, individual, pair and team recognized poomsae events, and power breaking.
The domestic breaking team selection trials drew top-ranked breaking athletes competing for spots on the national squad. The event-by-event winners were No Do-gyun of Bisang Taekwondo, Lee Seon-yeong of Korea National Sport University, Ko Jeong-hyeon of Kyung Hee University, Jeong Ye-na of Kyung Hee University, Yun Jae-hyeon of Yongin Daeyeongdo and Kim Da-yun of Bisang Taekwondo. They will represent South Korea at the World Taekwondo (WT) demonstration and breaking competition on Monday.
The competition was run under the latest WT rules, with the sparring A League introducing electronic body protectors, an electronic scoring system and video review (VAR) to enhance fairness and accuracy.
The organizing committee arranged transportation between Incheon International Airport and Chuncheon for participating delegations and operated dedicated shuttle buses. Medical staff are stationed at the venue at all times, and safety insurance coverage is in place for all participants.
Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Dong-han, who also serves as chairman of the Chuncheon Leisure and Taekwondo Organizing Committee, said the sight of athletes from around the world competing and connecting in Chuncheon demonstrates the city's standing as a global taekwondo hub. "We will ensure the remaining events are run safely and successfully, and build a city where culture, tourism and international exchange grow together through taekwondo," he said.
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