Скачать или смотреть World’s top Taekwondo athletes gather in Muju for 2025 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge

‘태권도의 성지’ 무주에서 세계 최정상 선수들 맞붙는다

One of the biggest competitions in Taekwondo, Korea’s traditional martial art, has made its bold return.
The World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge, often called the gateway to the Olympics, is underway in the southern part of the country.
Our Park Hyo-been takes us there.

The 2025 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge is underway at Taekwondowon’s T1 Stadium in Muju-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province.
Energy filled the stadium with more than 300 athletes from 32 countries competing.

"I came here with my teammates to cheer for one of them who's competing, hoping they’ll finish first. Being here has made me really want to stand on a stage like this myself one day.

"I'm from the U.S., and I came here because we have quite a few athletes competing here. My son being one of them. He competed yesterday at -80kg and actually won the gold so that was super exciting."

This Grand Prix Challenge was first introduced in 2022 by the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation and World Taekwondo as a G-2-ranked international event.
It was designed to promote Taekwondo, discover new talent, and give athletes wider access to the Olympics.
Winners can earn up to 20 ranking points, making this a crucial first step toward the Olympic Games.
In fact, the top three finishers in each weight class will also qualify for the next year's Muju Taekwondowon Grand Prix Series, a G-6 event that awards as many as 60 points.

The competition is all about Kyorugi, or sparring, which is the Olympic discipline of Taekwondo.
Athletes aim to score points by striking the opponent’s chest protector or headgear, with extra points for spinning kicks.

This year’s competition is especially notable.
In the past, this event was limited to lower-ranked athletes.
But starting this year, World Taekwondo has shifted to a two-year Olympic ranking cycle instead of four.
That means this year’s event includes some of the sport’s very best , like Olympic gold medalists Park Tae-joon and Kim Yu-jin, as well as athletes currently ranked No. 1 in the world.
Park Tae-joon, who actually won the very first Grand Prix Challenge before taking a gold medal in the Paris Olympics, will compete on Saturday.

To reflect the Olympic spirit of inclusion, the organizers invited athletes from developing nations as well as participants from the refugee program, giving them a chance to compete on this global stage.


"The world’s top Taekwondo athletes have gathered here in Muju for this challenge, which runs until this Sunday.
Now, all eyes are on whether a new taekwondo star will rise in this year’s competition.
Park Hyo-been, Arirang News, Muju."

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2025-08-29, 20:00 (KST)