USFK members, international students, workers and multicultural families to compete in five events at Kukkiwon on Saturday; Korean cultural activities also on offer
Taekwondo practitioners from around the world will gather in Seoul's Gangnam district this week for a festival celebrating the martial art.
Gangnam-gu announced it will host the 2026 Foreign Residents Taekwondo Competition Festival at Kukkiwon on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., drawing more than 900 participants from about 40 countries.
Co-hosted by Gangnam-gu and Kukkiwon and organized by the Korea-based Foreign Residents Taekwondo Culture Association, the event is designed to go beyond competition, offering a platform for international exchange where participants can experience traditional Korean culture and build friendships across borders.
Participants include USFK personnel, international students, foreign workers and members of multicultural families. Divided into student and adult divisions, competitors will vie in five events: poomsae, sparring, knife-hand breaking, speed kicking and high-jump kicking. Medal and trophy winners will be recognized in each event.
The day begins with poomsae and sparring preliminaries at 9 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. The sparring finals and other main-round bouts get underway at 1 p.m., with awards ceremonies for each event starting at 5 p.m.
Outside the competition area, a range of hands-on cultural programs will be available. Visitors can try making traditional crafts — fans, lucky pouches, bookmarks and hanji paper goods — and take part in folk games including jegi kicking, tuho (arrow throwing), yutnori and ddakji flipping.
A hangul experience zone aimed at foreign participants is also on offer. Activities include handwriting one's own name in hangul, carving a personal name stamp and making a name-engraved keyring. A dedicated space for writing messages and postcards will allow participants to share culture and goodwill beyond the competition floor.
"I hope this festival will serve as a meaningful venue for taekwondo practitioners from around the world to test their skills, forge friendships and experience together the values of taekwondo and Korean culture," Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said.
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