"A Cultural Asset of Chungju - Chungju World Martial Arts Festival"

I believe Chungju World Martial Arts Festival held last month September 2 through 8 was a greater success than those of any other year in the past. As the citizens of Chungju are all aware, Chungju World Martial Arts Festival was held for the first time in 1998 through the proposal of then mayor Lee Si-Jong. This World Martial Arts Festival was an annual festival of the 13th anniversary. The festival was skipped once in 2009 due to the sweeping of <SARS>.

The Epicenter of "Good Chungju", Chungju World Martial Arts Festival

The planning of Chungju World Martial Arts Festival was out of the inspiration to build up Chungju as the epicenter of world martial arts culture by adopting martial arts a culture contents that symbolizes Chungju the birthplace of taekgyeon the major inherent martial arts of our own. That way we may be able to promote Chungju internationally as well as in the nation, and catapult Chungju toward greater proliferation by creating cultural and economical assets value by the heightened position by it. This year's festival was definitely a success in faithful response to such planned goal.

  Chungju World Martial Arts Festival that UNESCO recognized for its international and cultural values

First off, this year's festival was held again under the sponsorship of UNESCO following last year. UNESCO, one of the various major organizations that comprise UN organization, is a global international organization that purports to contribute to world peace through international collaboration and exchanges in education, science and culture fields. UNESCO supports international events by its member countries that are judged to contribute to the objective and goal of UNESCO, and applies very strict standard in screening to meet its authority. The fact that UNESCO supports Chungju World Martial Arts Festival also indicates that our martial arts festival is garnering attention throughout the world. One major background of the ever rising attention lie on the activities of World Martial Arts Union which has its headquarter in Chungju. World Martial Arts Union is recognized its qualification as [International NGO partner for business collaboration] of UNESCO, and thus UNESCO recognized its international role and cultural value.

  It is also true that World Martial Arts Park that the city of Chungju constructed made critical contribution to the success of this year's festival. In order for such events to be performed effectively, external elements (can be said hardware) and contents (can be said software) need be arranged in balance. First off, if external elements like infrastructure are not properly organized, the contents like programs may not be made good enough. There is a word "Forms determine the contents". The magnificent landscape and facility of World Martial Arts Park are such a valuable asset that led this year's festival to a success. World Martial Arts Park is acclaimed by many international participants. The delegation teams of Malaysia and Greece even asked for relevant information saying they want to build up similar facility.

  The next is about the contents that is program. This year's festival was executed in a plan for extensive consideration to improve the contents and quality as international martial arts event and at the same time contribute to viewer attractions for tourists and commercial performance for the economy of Chungju. Above all, as for international consideration, demonstration teams from abroad were organized to participate by undertaking the whole or part of the costs voluntarily, and in particular, high class martial arts groups were encouraged to participate extensively. As a result, the festival was joined by 15 international teams, and I am pleased that we could watch unique martial arts of Japan, China, Thailand, Greece and more in the festival. I believe Chungju World Martial Arts Festival demonstrated its potential for independent and sustainable development as an international event.

  As for viewer attractions and commercial performance, we induced nationwide tournaments or demonstration competition among major domestic martial arts bodies performing Taekgyeon, Hapkido and Gukseondo etc and organized the festival so that numerous cheering groups as well as the athletes of these martial arts may visit Chungju and watch this martial arts festival. The visitations of these people would naturally have contributed as much to the commercial activities of various fields of Chungju. With this event taken as a good opportunity of study, we are seeking to research to induce international competitions of noted martial arts groups of international network as part of our martial arts festival program and increase the number of international visitors by it.

  In fact, there is another element that made greater contribution to the success of this year's martial arts festival. That is the active interests, participations and cheering of Chungju citizens. The helping hands of those who volunteered to help the execution of the festival in person made critical role. Those who came to the festival field to watch working to build up welcoming atmosphere and the celebrations by those who could not come to the field all added invaluable strength to it. Strengthened by such celebrations of Chungju citizens and those who joined forces in the planning and preparation, Chungju World Martial Arts Festival will keep growing by gaining immense power of propulsion through active participation by the members of World Martial Arts Union. That way, we will keep moving forward until Chungju could be settled firmly on world map as the epicenter of true international martial arts activities.

  World Martial Arts Festival of Chungju is now a valuable cultural asset of Chungju, a priceless asset that we would present spiritual pride to the citizens of Chungju and should develop the festival further to bring practical economical benefits sustainably by creating tourism demand. On this basis, Chungju World Martial Arts Festival and World Martial Arts Union, I believe, will serve as a stimulant of no less effect than Ban Ki-moon effect for Chungju youths so they could grow ambition to advance to international society and join in international activities.

                                                           Soh Byeong-Yong Ambassador (Resigned)

                                                President of World Martial Arts Union

[이 게시물은 admin님에 의해 2011-10-26 10:01:33 새소식에서 이동 됨]