World Youth University Taekwondo Festival 2025 Daegu World University ended its four-day long journey successfully
Jul 09, 2025
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The competition, which marks its second anniversary this year, is a university taekwondo international competition jointly approved by the World Taekwondo Federation (WT) and the International University Sports Federation (FISU), centered on G1 (ranking points) grade official seal, free seal, and competition. In addition, the Division 2 and 3 sectors centered on sports for all were included, and it was operated as a competition that encompasses a variety of skills from beginners to athletes who want to experience the international stage.
A total of 899 players from 41 countries (based on athletes and leaders) participated in the competition, of which 115 foreign players, including domestic residents, participated.
The youngest participant was born in 2019 (six years old), and the oldest participant was born in 1980, and the festival was held by all generations through Taekwondo. A total of more than 2,000 people, including domestic and foreign volunteers, operating personnel, and observers, participated in the event directly.
The game was played intensely over the previous day.
The game that drew the most attention was the -63kg G1 final on the 7th.
The match, in which Jang Joon of the Korea Gas Corporation, the bronze medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and Yang Won-seok, a promising player from Yongin University, faced off, created tension like a final match. In the first round, Jang Joon used his overwhelming height and speed to win, but Yang Won-seok launched an onslaught from the second round, reversing the atmosphere. In the third round, just before the end of the game, Yang Won-seok scored a decisive point and won the final score 2-1.
In particular, the G1 Poomsae final, held on the last day of the 8th, drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience by showing a scene that combines technical completeness and artistry.
Beyond the simple level of sports competition, this competition also attracted attention as a venue for youth exchange and 'K-culture'.
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In addition, elderly Taekwondo practitioners (aka 「Silver Taekwondo" trainees, such as grandfathers and grandmothers over 60 years old, took to the stage on the first day to demonstrate creative Taekwondo and demonstration, showing the power of 'Taekwon' across generations.
The opening ceremony was held at the Keimyung University Indoor Gymnasium at 11 a.m. on the 6th.
Jo Jung-won, president of the World Taekwondo Federation, Shin Il-hee, chairman of the organizing committee, Yang Jin-bang, president of the Korea Taekwondo Association, Hong Sung-joo, vice mayor of Daegu City's economy, and key domestic and foreign figures attended to encourage the participating team.
In his opening remarks, President Cho Jung-won said, `Taekwon is a medium by which young people around the world share peace beyond sports,' adding, `I hope this event will be a symbolic starting point for international sports diplomacy.'
Hong Sung-joo, deputy mayor of Daegu City's economy, said, `We hope that this festival will become a local sports brand in Daegu and will continue to lead to a sustainable youth sports festival in Daegu in the future.'
The event also made meaningful progress in terms of strategic linkage with the 2027 Summer World University Games (Universiad).
The organizing committee actively carried out the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's 'Observer Program' to lay the foundation for cooperation between sports organizations, such as sharing operational know-how on how to operate and direct the game to working-level officials at the Chungcheong Universiade.
Secretary-General Chung Byung-ki (Professor Keimyung University), who organized the event, said, `This event went beyond a simple venue and showed the possibility of becoming a sports platform for sports diplomacy and international cultural exchange"This festival is not a one-off event, but presents various possibilities such as youth cultural diplomacy through Taekwondo, inter-city cooperation, and revitalization of local industries."," he stressed.
Based on the results of this competition, the organizing committee of the 2025 Daegu World University Taekwondo Festival is preparing a mid- to long-term strategy to develop the competition as a sustainable international exchange platform for young taekwondo people around the world.
First of all, based on the experience of young Taekwondo people from all over the world coming together with this competition, we plan to make a permanent place for regular youth Taekwondo international exchanges in Daegu in the future. In addition, it is also planning to develop a model that creates economic and cultural synergy linked to the local sports industry.
Through this, a vision to contribute to Daegu's establishment as an Asian sports hub city was also presented.
Detailed information related to the competition can be found on the official website www.wu-tf.com and the official SNS channel of the competition.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
