By Charles Audouin
Video: Chuncheon City Hall's official YouTube channel

Taekwondo practitioners from around the world have gathered in the eastern city of Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province, in the middle of summer.

Chuncheon City Hall on July 7 launched its hosting of the Gangwon-Chuncheon World Taekwondo Cultural Festival and will open the Chuncheon Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships from July 15.

About 1,500 people from 35 countries will participate in the festival, which will run until July 13 and include the World Taekwondo World Cup Team Championships, World Taekwondo Demonstration & Breaking Championships, and World Para Taekwondo Open Challenge.

Starting two days after the cultural festival's closing ceremony, the tournaments are seen to attract an estimated 2,000 participants from 45 countries. Through July 20, open competitions for people of all ages will focus on G2-level sparring and poomsae (forms) events certified by World Taekwondo, the martial art's world governing body.

The welcoming ceremony for these two events is slated for July 8 at Songam Sports Town Air Dome.

"The two competitions with people from all over the world are a stage to truly show Chuncheon's status as a global taekwondo hub," Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Dong-han said. "We will use this festival that combines taekwondo, culture and industry as an opportunity to develop our people's pride as well as our city's sustainable competitiveness."

caudouin@korea.kr