Kukkiwon entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promote Korea’s national sport Taekwondo including relocation and rebuilding.

The concerned officials from Kukkiwon, including Lee Dongsup, President of Kukkiwon, Kim Mu-Cheon, Executive Director, and Yoon Woong-Seok and President of World Taekwondo Academy, and the concerned officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including Oh Se-Hoon, mayor of Seoul, Choi Kyung-Ju, Director General of Tourism & Sports Bureau, and Yoon Hee-Cheon, Manager of Tourism Policy Division attended the ceremony for signing the agreement held at 2:00 pm on Monday, May 2 at the video conference room in Seoul City Hall.

By signing the MOU, both organizations decided to closely cooperate with each other in performing businesses including △ building the cooperative system in relation to the relocation and building of Kukkiwon, △ mutually cooperating to promote and disseminate Taekwondo as national sport, and △ jointly developing, and cooperating for, Seoul Tourism programs.

Before the signing of the MOU, President Dong-Sup Lee said, “The superannuated building of Kukkiwon, as the center of Taekwondo that can be called the originator of the Korean wave, causes a lot of problems. We came to have this event with the sympathy of Se-Hoon Oh, Mayor of Seoul, and we will solidify our status by rebuilding Kukkiwon to commemorate its 50th anniversary.”

Se-Hoon Oh, Mayor of Seoul, said, “Today, I am so pleased to enter into this MOU to promote the national sport Taekwondo and develop the tourism industry. We will promote the relocation and rebuilding of Kukkiwon as the holy place of Taekwondo to revitalize Kukkiwon and further develop Taekwondo as the content for the tourism for Korean wave or Hallyu.”

Starting this agreement, Kukkiwon will actively proceed with detailed matters for relocation including “Promotional Committee for Making Kukkiwon Tourist Attraction (tentative).”