Greater Louisville Sports Commission
401 West Main Street, Suite 2200
Louisville , KY 40202
502-587-7767

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORTH KOREAN TAE KWON DO DEMONSTRATION TEAM VISITS UNITED STATES FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 60 YEARS

  Louisville, Kentucky, One of Only Five Stops on Goodwill Tour; North Korean Tae Kwon Do Demo Team to Perform at Annual Hwang's Martial Arts Tournament Oct. 13

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2007) - For the first time in more than six decades, representatives of the North Korean Tae Kwon Do Demonstration Team will participate in a Goodwill Tour of five U.S. cities and will perform during the opening ceremonies of the 21 st Annual International HMA U.S. Open Championship Tournament scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville.

Approximately 20 North Korean team members will visit the United States as part of the 2007 Goodwill Tour, sponsored by Tae Kwon Do Times . The team has scheduled performances in the following cities: Los Angeles ,Calif. (Oct. 6); San Francisco, Calif. (Oct. 7); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Oct. 10); Louisville, Ky. (Oct. 13); and Atlanta, Ga. (Oct. 14). Each performance will include the North Korean players' Tae Kwon Do demonstration and a United States Tae Kwon Do players' demonstration. In addition to their performances, team members will have the chance to experience American culture during their two-week stay in the  United States .

The objective of the 2007 Goodwill Tour is to enhance relations between the United States and North Korea through non-governmental exchanges. While Grandmaster Jung Oh Hwang, founder of Hwang's Martial Arts, and other Tae Kwon Do masters around the country have tried to sponsor a visit by the North Korean Demonstration Team in previous years, this was ultimately the first time their efforts led to a visit.

Tae Kwon Do is a widely popular martial art that originated in Korea and emphasizes a combination of kicks, blocks and punches to be utilized for both sport and self-defense. Like many forms of martial art, Tae Kwon Do is as much a philosophy and way of life as it is a form of exercise, stressing discipline of the mind and body, as well as respect for self, for one's family and for one's community.

The 21 st Annual International HMA U.S. Open Championship Tournament is hosted by Hwang's Martial Arts, one of the top 10 martial arts schools in the world. The yearly Tae Kwon Do tournament is one of the most exciting martial arts tournaments in the United States and draws more than 900 martial arts competitors of all ages and nationalities that will spin, jump, break boards and perform feats of martial arts magic in Black Belt (morning) and color belt (afternoon) events. Special demonstrations by several demo teams and the parade of competitors will also highlight the opening ceremonies, schedule to begin at noon EDT.

Adult tickets (ages 13 and up) can be purchased in advance of the tournament date or at the door (Oct. 13) for $20. Children's tickets (ages 12 and under) may be purchased in advance or at the door for $10. Tickets purchased in advance of the tournament are available at the Hwang's Martial Arts studio located at 2813 North Hurstbourne Parkway .

21 ST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL HMA U.S. OPEN CHAMPSHIP TOURNAMENT

Featuring the North Korean Tae Kwon Do Demonstration Team

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 13 Noon EDT

Opening ceremonies, featuring the North Korean Demo Team, begin at noon

WHERE: Kentucky International Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 2D

Located at the corner of Third Street and Jefferson Street in downtown Louisville

TICKETS: Adults (ages 13 and up) are $20

Children (12 and under) are $10

Purchase advance tickets online at www.hwangsmartialarts.com, or the Hwang's Martial Arts North Hurstbourne location (see below).

Hwang's Martial Arts is located at 2813 North Hurstbourne Parkway (502-412-7755). Grandmaster Jung Oh Hwang earned a silver medal in judo at the 1984 Olympics and is founder of Hwang's Martial Arts.

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