After a 14-year hiatus, the Kukkiwon, the global headquarters of taekwondo, has relaunched its flagship quarterly magazine with a special 2025 edition, available in digital format in Korean. This revival not only marks a milestone in the preservation of Korean martial tradition but also sets forth an ambitious vision for the sport on the international stage, blending history, innovation, and the global community.
The publication, available on the Kukkiwon’s official website (kukkiwon.or.kr), comes at a pivotal moment for taekwondo, an Olympic sport seeking to expand its influence beyond athletic competition. According to internal documents and preliminary summaries of the issue, the magazine positions itself as a “communication channel and forum” for national and international practitioners, with the aim of reflecting on the last 50 years of Kukkiwon’s history and charting paths for its future development.
The inaugural issue, centered on the theme “Kukki 2025,” opens with congratulatory messages from taekwondo leaders around the world, highlighting the significance of this revival of the publication.
“It’s a bridge between the past and the future,”
states an excerpt attributed to a senior official at the Kukkiwon, emphasizing how the magazine will serve to standardize techniques, share knowledge, and promote cultural exchange. Among the main sections is a detailed account of the 2023 Kukki Taekwondo Hanmaeum Festival, an event that brought together thousands of athletes and rekindled the collective excitement of taekwondo as a living art.
But the pulse of 2025 beats strongly in the pages dedicated to upcoming events. Special attention is focused on the 30th Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Hanmadang, scheduled for July 17–19 at a destination yet to be confirmed, though preliminary announcements suggest it will likely be held in the United States. This global competition, which follows modified rules from Kukkiwon and USA Taekwondo, will include disciplines such as breaking boards with a knife-hand strike (sonnal-gyokpa), side kick (yeopchagi-gyokpa), back kick (dwichagi-gyokpa), and creative high jumps, among others.
The event will not only recognize physical skill, but will also feature seminars open to the public, such as a poomsae (forms) seminar led by Grand Master Jung Hwan Jin, coach of the U.S. national poomsae team, and a formal closing ceremony to celebrate the sport’s global unity.
The publication also incorporates educational and philosophical perspectives, aligning with complementary resources from the Kukkiwon, such as its “Official Taekwondo Textbook” (a 788-page bilingual Korean-English edition), which covers everything from history and philosophical principles to scientific foundations, basic movements, poomsae, competition rules, and advanced training.
These initiatives underscore the organization’s commitment to global standardization, particularly through initiatives such as the Kukkiwon Membership System (KMS), which offers benefits to registered dojangs in the form of regional events, exchange programs, and the annual selection of the “Top 100 Dojangs” to enhance their competitiveness.
In a context where taekwondo faces challenges such as adapting to mixed martial arts (MMA) formats and promoting the sport on social media, this quarterly magazine has emerged as a vital resource for the taekwondo community. Experts consulted highlight its role in training international instructors, similar to the Kukkiwon International Taekwondo Instructors Course, a 40-hour program covering theory, practical training, and lectures by grandmasters.
For Spanish-speaking fans, this Korean edition serves as an invitation to delve into the roots of taekwondo, though its digital availability may soon expand to include multilingual versions. As the world looks forward to the 2025 Hanmadang, Kukkiwon’s message is clear: taekwondo is not just a sport, but a living legacy. The magazine, in its triumphant return, promises to be the heartbeat that propels it toward new heights. For more information, visit the official Kukkiwon website or follow us for updates on global events.
The magazine is available to the general public by clicking here.
