Nation's Top Taekwondo Athletes to Compete in Changnyeong; Tournament Opens Nov. 14

Changnyeong County's standing as a sports hub rises
Actively attracting sporting events and training camp teams
to revitalize the local economy

The 2026 National Men's and Women's Outstanding Athletes Selection Tournament (Taekwondo), featuring top taekwondo athletes from across the country, will be held for five days, from November 14 to 18, at Changnyeong County Gymnasium in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province.

Scenes from the 2025 National Men’s and Women’s Outstanding Athletes Selection Competition [Photo provided by Changnyeong County]

According to Changnyeong County, the tournament is organized by the Korea Taekwondo Association, co-hosted by the Gyeongsangnam-do Taekwondo Association and the Changnyeong County Taekwondo Association, and sponsored by Changnyeong County and the Changnyeong County Council.

About 1,100 people, including elite taekwondo athletes and officials from across the country, are expected to take part.

Eligibility is open to athletes who placed in national-level competitions in the high school division or above this year, as well as those who finished first in their grade and weight class at the National Taekwondo Championships by Category.

With some of the country's top athletes competing, the tournament is expected to provide a stage for promising taekwondo athletes to test their skills.

Competitors will compete in individual elimination tournaments across eight weight classes, using a best-of-three format.

Changnyeong County has hosted the tournament since 2021 and is working to discover promising taekwondo athletes and develop local sports by hosting national-level sporting events.

A county official said, "We hope this tournament will raise Changnyeong's profile as a sports city and contribute to the development of taekwondo in Korea. We will continue to actively attract national sporting events that encourage visitors to stay longer, as well as teams for training camps, to help revitalize the local economy."

The tournament is expected to bring about 1,100 athletes and officials from across the country to Changnyeong, boosting local businesses such as lodging facilities and restaurants.

It is also expected to enhance Changnyeong County's standing as a sports city, drawing on its experience hosting national sporting events and its sports infrastructure, while contributing to the discovery of promising taekwondo athletes and the development of the local sports industry.

Attention is focused on whether Changnyeong County's continued efforts to attract national sporting events can go beyond one-off sports events to provide a real boost to the local economy and establish a model for regional development that links sports and tourism and encourages longer stays.

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