Jeonju University Successfully Concludes "Taekwondo Experience and Creative Goods Idea Contest"

The Taekwondo Department of Jeonju University recently held the "Taekwondo Experience and Creative Goods Idea Contest" at Muju Sangsangbandi Forest as part of the Ministry of Education's Jeonbuk RISE project.

According to Jeonju University on December 2, this contest was organized as a sub-program of the project "Revitalizing the Taekwondo HUB Industry to Establish the Status of the Home Country of Taekwondo." Under the theme "Muju County, Designing Taekwondo," the event aimed to discover creative goods development ideas that combine the educational and artistic value of Taekwondo with the region's cultural and tourism resources.

The Taekwondo Department of Jeonju University held the "Taekwondo Experience and Creative Goods Idea Contest" on the 29th of last month at Muju Sangsangbandi Forest as part of the Ministry of Education's Jeonbuk RISE project. Provided by Jeonju University

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Lee Sukkyung, head of the Taekwondo Department at Jeonju University, stated, "I hope this contest becomes an opportunity for a variety of goods ideas to emerge that combine the spirit and techniques of Taekwondo with the natural and cultural symbolism of Muju County, thereby expanding the value of Muju as a Taekwondo HUB."

Hwang Inhong, Governor of Muju County, said, "I sincerely welcome all participants who have come to Muju," and added, "If we combine the creativity of Taekwondo with Muju's resources, such as Deogyusan Mountain, fireflies, and traditional culture, it could be developed into unique cultural and tourism content exclusive to Muju County."

After the first round of document screening, 10 teams advanced to the finals, where they presented their ideas on-site. The presentations were evaluated based on seven criteria, including creativity, artistry, marketability, regional relevance, and sustainability. The judging panel consisted of seven experts from academia, administration, and industry, representing Muju County, the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, Jeonbuk International Cultural Exchange Foundation, Hongik University, and Jeonju University, ensuring a fair evaluation process.

As a result of the final evaluation, the grand prize was awarded to "Dobok, Blooming Again: Upcycled Dobok Goods (DO:SIM)." This idea, which upcycles used Taekwondo uniforms into new daily life items, received high marks for sustainability, design, and Taekwondo symbolism.

In addition to the grand prize, a total of eight teams received awards, including the top excellence award, excellence award, and encouragement award. After the presentations, Kim Sunyoung, chair of the evaluation committee and professor at Hongik University, commented, "This year's entries reinterpreted Taekwondo's movements, philosophy, and symbolism in various ways, and works combined with local resources demonstrated real potential for commercialization."

She further stated, "There is great potential for these ideas to expand beyond the conceptual stage into experiential content, design goods, and tourism items," and evaluated the contest as "an event that confirmed a new trend in region-based creative industries."

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