Kukkiwon Consider Sending Taekwondo Outlets To Cuba For The First Time

JAKARTA - Kukkiwon, World Taekwondo Headquarters and the World Taekwondo Academy, plan to send taekwondo instructors to Cuba for the first time, four months after South Korea's diplomatic relations with the country.

According to Kukkiwon's announcement posted on its website on Monday, Cuba is among the 10 candidate countries considered for the organization's overseas training program.

This is the first time the Caribbean Islands nation has participated since starting recruiting taekwondo athletes for the program in 2009.

Other countries included in the list are Vietnam, Tajikistan, Nigeria, Bahrain, Gabon, Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Jamaica.

After evaluating applicants, Kukkiwon plans to choose two people early next month before sending them to two candidate countries, one person for each country.

"Currently, 52 instructors sent from 52 countries are diligently promoting taekwondo and carrying out various cultural activities in the countries they are aiming for. Living abroad, there may be many challenges but it will be a useful and valuable experience. We ask for support and interest from taekwondo instructors who have the ability and character for this delivery program," commented President Kukkiwon, Lee Dong-sup, quoted from the Kukkiwon website.

"This recruitment includes Cuba which is in diplomatic relations with South Korea this year, and instructor shipments are expected to increase cultural exchanges with Central and South American countries through taekwondo," Kukkiwon said in an announcement.

Cuba, one of North Korea's longtime allies, embraced the taekwondo style promoted by the North Korea-led International Taekwondo Federation, before joining the South Korean-led World Taekwondo (formerly the World Taekwondo Federation) in 1993.