The World Taekwondo Federation will observe Taekwondo Day on Sept. 4, 2006, in a ceremony, along with its 182-member national associations.

On the occasion of the 1st WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, which open Sept. 4 for a three-day run in Seoul, the WTF plans to commemorate Taekwondo Day.

WTF President Chungwon Choue plans to host a reception for the heads of delegations for the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships and other dignitaries from at home and abroad most possibly on Sept.4.

The WTF also plan to issue commemorative stamps to mark the day. It pushes ahead with a plan to produce a Taekwondo Day symbol.

“Given the short period of time for preparations, we will focus on promoting Taekwondo Day this time, but we will try to produce a package of projects by establishing a committee within the WTF,” said a ranking WTF official. “All the 182 member national associations of the WTF can observe the day at the same time.”

At its General Assembly in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on July 25, 2006, the WTF designated Sept. 4 as Taekwondo Day.

The rationale for designating the date of Sept. 4 as Taekwondo Day is that on Sept. 4, 1994, the 103rd IOC Session held in France decided to accept the sport of taekwondo into the official program of the Summer Olympic Games.

Taekwondo was an Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games. It will be also a medal sport at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games.

“The designation of Taekwondo Day and the launch of the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships would combine to help expand the base of taekwondo population around the world,” said WTF President Chungwon Choue.