The Taekwondo Promotion Foundation has partnered with Muju County in the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province to host the 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series 2nd tournament and the 2027 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge 3rd tournament at the Muju Taekwondowon.
This hosting was confirmed during the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) executive committee meeting held in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on the 9th (Korean time).
The Grand Prix Series, which was introduced in 2013 as a G6 major tournament offering 60 Olympic ranking points, has attracted the world’s best taekwondo athletes. Since its inception, until the 2025 tournament, it has primarily been held in European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, as well as China.
Since 2022, the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation has achieved the milestone of hosting the ‘2026 Grand Prix Series’ at the Taekwondowon, the first of its kind in Korea, based on its expertise and experience in organizing international tournaments, including the Grand Prix Challenge. In particular, it is expected to contribute to the development of disabled taekwondo in South Korea by successively hosting the ‘Para Taekwondo Grand Prix’ following the Grand Prix Series.
In addition, the ‘Grand Prix Challenge’ is a G2 tournament established in 2022 by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation to enhance opportunities for Olympic participation and discover new talent, aiming to popularize taekwondo. Park Tae-joon, a gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has also grown into a prominent athlete for the country by winning this tournament.
Kim Joong-heon, director of the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, noted, “The G6 graded ‘Grand Prix Series’ is a high-level tournament with the world's top athletes, and the ‘Grand Prix Challenge’ is earning a reputation as a gateway for new athletes to advance to the global stage.” He added, “Based on our experience hosting numerous international events, including the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships, we will do our best to ensure a safer and more successful tournament.”
Meanwhile, the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation is ramping up preparations for the ‘Muju Taekwondowon 2025 World Taekwondo Diamond Games’ in July and the ‘Muju Taekwondowon 2025 Grand Prix Challenge’ in August.
[Photo provided by the foundation.]
[OSEN]