Jeju won the hosting rights for the World Taekwondo (한마당) Hanmadang 2018, and now the island is setting its sights even higher: the Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships. Joseph Kim reports.


Report

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Korea Taekwondo Association inspects Halla Gymnasium

The Korea Taekwondo Association held a site inspection of the island’s Taekwondo facilities.

The inspection team checked the stadium and other facilities at (한라) Halla Gymnasium.

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Jeju bids for Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships

The Jeju Taekwondo Association is bidding to host the 2018 Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships.

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Only tournament recognized by World Taekwondo Federation

The Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships is the only tournament officially recognized by the World Taekwondo Federation. The annual event has been held since 2005.

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Winners gain advantage for entry to Olympic Games

Prize winners at the championships will be given an edge to gain entry to the Olympic Games.

Every year, more than 2,000 athletes from 50 countries participate in the event.

INTERVIEW
Oh Il-nam / Korea Taekwondo Association
Athletes at the Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships will be given points for participating in the next Olympic Games. They can get up to 20 points, which is significant.
[인터뷰 오일남 / 대한태권도협회 상근이사 ]
"올림픽을 가는 티켓을 따는 과정에서 랭킹 포인트제가 있습니다. 코리아오픈대회가 20점이라는 큰 랭킹포인트를 받고 있기 때문에 많은 세계 각국 선수들이 포인트를 따기 위해 열심히 참석하고 있습니다."

The Jeju Taekwondo Association is trying to host the event for 10 years, beginning with the 2018 event.

If the island succeeds in hosting the event, international athletes aiming for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will likely come to Jeju for training as the climate of the island is similar to that of Tokyo.

INTERVIEW
Jo Chan-woo / Jeju Taekwondo Association
The most important thing is it’s not a one-off event. Hosting the championships consistently over the course of years would have a significant impact on the local economy.
[인터뷰 조찬우 / 제주도태권도협회 자문위원장]
"일회성으로 끝나지 않고 가장 중요한 것은 연속,지속성이 있기 때문에 지역상권이라든지 도민들에게 좋은 시너지효과를 발휘할 수 있습니다."

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Gyeongju and Muju also seeking hosting rights

Jeju is expected to compete with (경주) Gyeongju and (무주) Muju for hosting the Championships.

[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Kim Seung-cheol

The island is now awaiting the results, hoping all its hard work would pay off.

Joseph Kim, KCTV