First Official Appearance as an Event at the National Sports Festival in Busan
Expanding Grassroots Participation and Developing Athletes
Launching a Three-Pronged Strategy with International Exchange
The Hapkido community in Seoul has declared its full-fledged leap into the realm of “institutionalized sports,” using the historic milestone of being officially adopted as an event at the National Sports Festival as a springboard.
The 2026 Regular Delegate General Meeting of the Seoul Hapkido Association was held on January 31 in the main conference hall on the second floor of Hyundai Terra Tower, Digital Complex, Guro-gu, Seoul. The event was a great success, attended by the association’s executives, delegates, and key figures from the sports, political, and cultural sectors.
At the Regular Delegate General Meeting of the Seoul Hapkido Association, a 'Leap Declaration' was made. Photo by Byunggeon Kwon
This general meeting was more than a routine annual gathering; it was a symbolic occasion to share the shift in Hapkido’s status. Last year, Hapkido was officially adopted as an event at the National Sports Festival, becoming part of the institutional sports system. At the National Sports Festival in Busan, “Traditional Martial Arts Hapkido” was showcased as an official event for the first time, demonstrating both its popularity and competitiveness. The association described this as “the most significant institutional achievement in the history of Hapkido.”
Key attendees included Association President Kim Kyunghwan; Director Bong Hoejang, producer of “50 Korean Food Masters”; Han Taeil; comic storyteller An Juil; Secretary General Na Youngcheol; Jung Sunghoon, CEO of Dongnam Accounting Corporation; former Seoul City Council member Oh Bongsu; Kim Jonguk, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Assembly Legislative Policy Research Association; Park Kyungsun, President of Eunpyeong-gu Sports Council; and Kim Mijeong, President of the Central Association of Chinese-Korean Residents, among others. They gathered to share strategies for the development of Hapkido in Seoul.
The meeting focused on several key agenda items: ▲2025 business settlement and financial report ▲approval of the 2026 business plan ▲strengthening coach professionalism ▲expanding the base for youth and community sports ▲establishing a systematic athlete development program in preparation for the National Sports Festival ▲and promoting domestic and international exchanges. In particular, the plan to discover elite athletes and build a systematic training system, using participation in the National Sports Festival as an opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of the Seoul representative team, drew attention.
President Kim Kyunghwan stated, “With Hapkido now an official event at the National Sports Festival, it has established itself as a proud sport beyond traditional martial arts. The association will focus its capabilities to ensure Seoul becomes the standard model leading the nation in administration, athletic performance, and coach development.” He added, “We will simultaneously expand grassroots participation and nurture professional athletes to elevate both the breadth and quality of Hapkido.”
Hapkido’s entry into the National Sports Festival marks its transition from “tradition” to “institution,” and from “training” to “sport.” This general meeting served as a starting point for reorganizing the association’s structure and strategy in response to these changes. Seoul’s decision to foster both grassroots and elite sports could set the standard for future Hapkido policies nationwide. It remains to be seen whether this small wave starting in Seoul will become a major force reshaping the landscape of martial arts sports in Korea.
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