Detail

In the final round of the Taekwondo event at the 2004 Athens Olympics, MOON Dae Sung, the winning contestant, lifted and hugged the disheartened Greek, the loser. This moment etched a deep impression on the spectators. During the 2003 earthquake disaster in Iran, Hadi, Iran’s Taekwondo hero, put all of his medals and trophies on auction in an effort to help the earthquake victims, displaying compassion and hope to the Iran people. Such acts of beautiful spirit that consider the feelings of the loser and that tries to share the hardships of others display the practice of the very spirit of Taekwondo. Taekwondo, the depositary of the unique Korean spirit and philosophy, has been passed down not only as a sport designed to protect oneself by training for power and skill but also as a martial art that cultivates one’s spirit and character. Also, the spirit of Taekwondo is in the same context as the Hwarangdo spirit that teaches to love the nation, respect the parent, keep faith and be humble, frugal, and self-restraining. Such spirit of Taekwondo has been the very foundation on which the sport rose to be loved around the world: there are about 70 million Taekwondo enthusiasts in 189 member countries around the world. Taekwondo has been designated an official Olympic sport since the 2000 Sydney Olympic. To sustain the development of Taekwondo as its country of origin, a 2.314 million square meter Taekwondo park will be created in Muju-gun, Jeonbuk Province in harmony with the beautiful nature with 3 different spatial sections (experience, training and symbolism). The construction of this Park will start in 2009 with plans for completion in 2013. As a hub of Taekwondo training and research, this Park will become a place where Taekwondo followers from around the world can exchange its spirit, history and culture. In commemoration of the creation of Taekwondo Park, a commemorative stamp is issued on Sep. 4, the day of Taekwondo.