Final Approval After Three Years as a Demonstration Sport in Korea, the Sport’s Birthplace
Men’s and Women’s General Divisions to Be Included Starting in 2026
Jokgu has finally been included as an official event in the National Sports Festival. This marks the second time, after Taekwondo-a globally recognized Korean sport-that a sport originating from Korea has become an official discipline in the National Sports Festival.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced on December 23 that, following the 10th board meeting held at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on December 22, it had officially approved the transition of Jokgu to an official event in the National Sports Festival. As a result, starting from the 2026 National Sports Festival, Jokgu will be officially operated in two divisions: the men's general division and the women's general division.
At the board meeting, "Changes to the 2026 National Sports Festival" was a key agenda item. The proposal to transition both men's and women's general divisions of Jokgu, along with men's 3×3 basketball, from demonstration to official events was approved as originally submitted. With this decision, Jokgu has gained the status of an official event in the National Sports Festival.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee explained that this move is significant not only for improving the competitive level and expanding the base of Jokgu, but also for balancing the development of recreational and elite sports. With its official inclusion in the country's largest comprehensive sports event, the committee expects positive effects on establishing a stable system for selecting city and provincial representatives and strengthening the foundation for athlete development.
Lee Daejae, President of the Korea Jokgu Association, stated, "This achievement is the result of the efforts of everyone involved in Jokgu," and added, "We will focus on systematic athlete development and enhancing international competitiveness to further establish Jokgu as a representative K-sport of Korea."
A representative from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee also emphasized, "We comprehensively considered Jokgu's popularity and its competitiveness as a sport," and added, "With its adoption as an official event, we hope this will lay the groundwork for the sport's development and its advancement onto the international stage."
Jokgu traces its origins to similar games and exercises from the Three Kingdoms era, such as Chukguk and Jegichagi, and was created in the 1960s mainly within military units like the Air Force and Navy, taking root as a so-called K-sport.
Jokgu has continued to grow steadily, mainly as a demonstration event and recreational sport, and with its adoption as an official event, it has now established itself as an official sport in the National Sports Festival.
Park Samcheol, President of the Busan Jokgu Association, commented, "With its elevation to an official event in the National Sports Festival, Jokgu-an original K-sport-now has a foundation to grow beyond Korea into a global sport," and added, "I hope the efforts of the Korea Jokgu Association will help Jokgu ride the Korean Wave and spread to more than ten countries around the world."
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