On the Scene: Taekwondo Goes Home for Championships

(ATR) Taekwondo returns home to the Korean Peninsula for its 2017 championships, amid a backdrop of geopolitical tensions.

Sequestered in Muju, over three hours away from Seoul, athletes are returning to the spiritual home of the sport for the first time since 2011. Competition will be held at the Taekwondowon, a complex built by the South Korean government as a home for all taekwondo in the country.

The Taekwondowon cost $218 million to build and is mission is to "create a new taekwondo culture by inventing and the spreading of taekwondo value."

World Taekwondo, previously known as the World Taekwando Federation, reelected its president Chungwon Choueto a fourth four-year term the day before competition will begin. Choue stressed the need for change in the federation as well as the role World Taekwondo can play in humanitarian grounds.

Backing up that pledge is the addition of a refugee team competing in Muju. Refugee inclusion continues a trend started at the Rio 2016 Olympics through an IOC initiative. The refugee team will be one of 184 delegations participating here in Muju, with a total of 971 athletes. It is the largest participation at a world championship for the sport. Competition will run from Jun 24-30 in eight weight classes in both men’s and women’s taekwondo.

One of the other high profile delegations competing here in Muju isfrom North Korea. The delegation landed in Seoul yesterday and is a 36-member demonstration squad, according to local reports. North Korean athletes will not be eligible to win medals at the championships as they are registered under the International Taekwondo Federation. The delegation is lead by IOC member from North Korea Un Chang, who organized the World Taekwondo-ITF cross-cooperation.

The championships will also be the first held after the election of South Korean President Jae In Moon. Moon seeks more ties with North Korea and is expected to use the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics as part of his foreign policy goals. Moon visits the U.S. this week for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. When Moon returns to Korea at the end of the week, he'll meet meet with IOC President Thomas Bach.There are hopes Moon will attend the opening ceremony Saturday.

Bach will arrive at the championships on June 28 as part of an upcoming trip to Asia. Eight other IOC members will also be in attendance in Muju during the week, including Aicha Garad Ali of Djibouti, Ivan Dibos of Peru, Camiel Eurlings from the Netherlands, Seung Min Ryu of South Korea, Tsunekazu Takeda from Japan, C.K. Wu from Chinese Taipei and Zaiqing Yu of China. The high IOC presence is part of the push by the federation to have more influence on the IOIC, including a seat for the federation leader.

Written by Aaron Bauer in Muju

Travel paid for by World Taekwondo.

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