Taekwondo Player of the Year to host contest in Jeju

Korean taekwondo star Lee Dae-hoon will hold an international youth event on Jeju Island next year to promote the sport and culture of his homeland, organizers said Thursday.

Lee, who was recently named the World Taekwondo (WT) Player of the Year, will run a taekwondo event involving some 100 foreign and local students under the slogan “Love Taekwondo, Love Korea,” Planet Jeju, the event’s organizer, said. The four-day event will take place on Jeju Island in February 2019, it added.

The event, sponsored by Korea Tourism Organization and Jeju National University Hospital, will feature Lee, a three-time WT World Championships winner, demonstrating and coaching taekwondo moves as well as helping international students experience Korean culture.

Lee said profits from the event will be donated to Unicef Korea, emphasizing the program is designed to support healthy growth of the youth.

Lee, 26, is considered one of the best taekwondo practitioners of his generation. He is a four-time WT Player of the Year and has a record three Asian Games gold medals in taekwondo. At the Olympics, Lee won a silver and a bronze medal.

Yonhap