SEOUL (July 28, 2005) — A Taekwondo training program jointly organized by the World Taekwondo Federation and local universities is gaining growing popularity among foreign students.

The four-week WTF-KHU Taekwondo Training Program, which started on July 4 and is scheduled to conclude on July 31, drew 27 students from 15 countries, including Cyprus, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tonga, St. Lucia, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Portugal, India, Solomon Islands and El Salvador.

Curriculums for foreign participants include the Korean language, Taekwondo sparring, competition theory, and understanding of human anatomy.

In cooperation with Kyung Hee University, the WTF launched its first university partnership Taekwondo training program in March this year. The 16-week-long WTF-KHU Partnership Taekwondo Training Program, which started on March 2 and finished June 17, attracted 9 foreign students, one each from Palestine, Sao Tome Principe, Israel, Slovakia, Russia, El Salvador, Nepal, Tonga and Turkey.

The WTF-university partnership program, the first of its kind in the WTF’s 32-year history, is aimed at helping the WTF’s member national associations promote and foster young Taekwondo hopefuls in their respective countries on a long-term basis.

“The WTF-KHU Partnership Taekwondo Training Program serves as an orientation for foreign students who want to learn Taekwondo in Korea,” said Prof. Jong-kook Song of Kyung Hee University.

Song, who is in charge of the program, said, “The program is sure to greatly contribute to the development of Taekwondo worldwide.”

“We hope to expand those training programs for foreign students and want other Korean universities with Taekwondo departments to actively participate in the WTF-university partnership program,” said a WTF official.