Seoul's tourist hotspots get kick out of taekwondo

By Ko Dong-hwan

Taekwondo has become more visible at Seoul's landmark spots. Normally limited to local or international tournaments or certain large-scale events as a sideline performance to warm up the crowd, the Korean-style martial art is now doing flash kicks and breaking bricks at Seoul's tourist sites on a regular basis ― as a result of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's initiative to use the sport as a tool to promote the city and attract more tourists.

After staging taekwondo performances every weekend from July to August at Cheong Wa Dae ― the former presidential office and residence now open to public following the relocation of the office to the city's Yongsan District by President Yoon Suk-yeol ― the city government has decided to continue the performances at other landmark sites around the city, including Gwanghwamun Square.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sports/2022/09/600_335729.html

The Tourism Business Division under the city government's Tourism and Sports Bureau has announced it will exhibit taekwondo performances at Gwanghwamun Square every Friday, Saturday and Sunday this month and next. Each day will showcase two sessions of martial artists breaking boards, demonstrating poomsae (set sequences of defense and attack movements) and collaborating with other types of performers and artists.

The initiative was popular when it was performed in the Grand Garden, the lawn in front of Cheong Wa Dae's main building in the city's Jongno District. The taekwondo performances were an additional attraction in front of the former presidential office and residence, which now has approximately 24,000 visitors each day on average.

The city government signed a memorandum of understanding in May with Kukkiwon, the headquarters of the country's taekwondo operations and promotions worldwide, for the martial art authority to coordinate performances at Cheong Wa Dae. An official taekwondo demonstration unit from Kukkiwon, which debuted in 1974 and has been active worldwide ever since, led the performances at Cheong Wa Dae. The Cultural Heritage Administration, an adjunct agency under the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also agreed to cooperate with the city government by offering the use of the site for the city's project.

"We wanted to take advantage of taekwondo's global reputation and mix it with Cheong Wa Dae as a backdrop to promote the city as a global tourism destination," said an official from the city's Tourism Business Division. The division in August also invited overseas tourism agencies that the Seoul Metropolitan Government had already signed MOUs with for tours of Cheong Wa Dae, thus also promoting the taekwondo performances held there.

After the taekwondo performances completed their run at Cheong Wa Dae, the city government extended the run by starting a new campaign of holding regular martial arts demonstrations at Gwanghwamun Square ― the country's historical public space for diverse activities, from concerts to protests ― which was renovated and reopened as an urban park recently. Ahead of International Taekwondo Day on Sept. 4, the city government staged on Sept. 2 a one-day taekwondo performance concert both to commemorate the day and to kick-start the second phase of its martial arts campaign to promote Seoul's tourist spots.

The concert featured the Kukkiwon taekwondo demonstration unit and taekwondo-plus-K-pop performance team K-Tigers as the main performers. Korean national taekwondo athlete Lee Dae-hoon and Na Tae-joo, a former taekwondo player and trot singer, hosted the gig. La Chica, a female trio that gained fame on the Mnet dance competition show "Street Woman Fighter," taekwondo percussion performance team Bigabi and a taekwondo team from Midong Elementary School in Seoul also performed. Approximately 3,000 people filled the seats for the concert, which were either reserved in advance online or through on-site registration.

Taekwondo was also celebrated at Gwanghwamun Square by Korean media artist Park Sang-hwa, who exhibited video art from Sept. 1 to 4 on the media facade on the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts next to the square.

"Taekwondo is getting attention in various competition programs in the United States and Europe," said Choi Kyeong-joo, chief of the city's Tourism and Sports Bureau. "The city government has been hosting taekwondo performances in Seoul since 2007 to make it the city's representative tourism product. With its forthcoming performances at Gwanghwamun Square, we hope taekwondo becomes more beloved by fans worldwide."

The city government also launches taekwondo experience programs for tourists and visitors to Gwanghwamun Square every Saturday until October. Participants will feel what it's like to wear a taekwondo uniform, break wooden boards and emulate poomsae movements. Outside Gwanghwamun, the authority will also stage taekwondo performances in other tourist spots including Namsangol Hanok Village and the Hongdae area in western Seoul. The gigs combine the martial art with various other performing arts including acrobatic moves and K-pop dances.