World Taekwondo Athletes to Compete at Keimyung University... 'Daegu 2026 World University Taekwondo Festival' Opens in Spectacular Fashion on the 4th

Jointly Hosted by World Taekwondo and the International University Sports Federation
The Most Prestigious G1 Tournament Offering Olympic Ranking Points
Athletes from 26 Countries, Over 930 Participants Compete
Promoting Daegu as an International Taekwondo City Beyond a Sports Event
A Global Festival Blending Sports, Travel, and Cuisine

The 'Daegu 2026 World University Taekwondo Festival'—a global celebration that brings together university taekwondo athletes from around the world, merging sports, culture, and tourism—will open in spectacular fashion at Keimyung University's Seongseo Campus in Daegu for four days from July 4 to 7, 2026.

This year marks the third edition of this event, which stands as a flagship international university taekwondo festival jointly hosted by World Taekwondo (WT) and the International University Sports Federation (FISU).

Since its inaugural event in 2024, it has solidified its status as one of Daegu's premier international sporting events, alongside the city's only international track and field competition, further enhancing the city's brand value.

'Daegu 2025 World University Taekwondo Festival' competition scene (sparring). Provided by Keimyung University

This festival will feature sparring, recognized poomsae, and freestyle poomsae, all conducted under the official international competition rules of World Taekwondo (WT). It is classified as a G1-level international tournament (offering Olympic ranking points), alongside major competitions such as the Kimunyong Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships and the Chuncheon Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships.

With valuable Olympic ranking points at stake, the festival is set to attract a large number of elite university athletes from around the world, promising a high level of competition.

This year, not only Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and Africa but also Guadeloupe—a French territory in the Caribbean—will participate for the first time. In total, delegations and officials from 26 countries, comprising approximately 930 participants, have confirmed their attendance.

In particular, the sparring (G1) category will be highly competitive, featuring leading world-ranked athletes such as Jang Jun (ranked 4th globally in the men's -68kg category) and Yang Heechan (ranked 10th globally in the men's -58kg category), who will compete fiercely over the three days.

The total number of participants, including those attending the opening ceremony and related events, is expected to reach around 2,000.

More than just a sporting arena for victory and defeat, this year's festival is significant in that it aims to present a new global sports festival model that combines sports, culture, and cutting-edge technology.

'Daegu 2025 World University Taekwondo Festival' competition scene (Poomsae). Provided by Keimyung University

At the opening ceremony to be held at Keimyung University's Seongseo Campus Gymnasium on July 4, there will be a special demonstration of 'Virtual Taekwondo,' a discipline recently adopted as an official event at the Summer Asian Games.

This demonstration, utilizing virtual reality (VR) technology, will showcase the fusion of traditional taekwondo with advanced technology, offering a glimpse into the future possibilities of sports content.

The festival will also be enriched with unique cultural experience programs distinctive to Daegu.

At 'Hanhakchon,' a traditional cultural space created in celebration of Keimyung University's 50th anniversary, international athletes will have the opportunity to experience Korean traditions, such as trying on Hanbok. There will also be a K-POP dance class where participants can learn the choreography to BTS's hit song 'Dynamite,' creating a vibrant venue for global cultural exchange.

The city of Daegu aims to use this event as a stepping stone to promote itself as an 'International Taekwondo City' on the global stage, moving beyond simply hosting a sports tournament.

To ensure that young university students from around the world can experience Daegu's attractive tourist destinations and enjoy the city's unique culinary offerings, a range of related content has been enhanced.

This festival, which brings together sports, travel, cuisine, and the local industry, is expected to transform all of Daegu into a lively celebration during the event period and generate a significant boost to the local economy.

Jeong Byeonggi, Secretary-General in charge of organizing the event and Professor at the Department of Taekwondo at Keimyung University, stated, "Now in its third year, the Daegu World University Taekwondo Festival is a platform for competition, exchange, and unity among university taekwondo athletes worldwide, and a global stage for showcasing the new future value of taekwondo. In particular, this year, with the inclusion of virtual taekwondo and K-culture programs, we will present a new model for global sports festivals that blends traditional sports, future technology, and cultural content."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.