At the 2025 Park Chung-hee Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships: 4 Gold, 7 Silver, 14 Bronze – Every Member Wins a Medal

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Chairman Lee Man-hee, hereafter referred to as Shincheonji Church) Taekwondo representative team once again proved its excellence on the international stage, winning medals in every category at the 2025 Park Chung-hee Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships.

The tournament, hosted by the Park Chung-hee Cup Organizing Committee and jointly organized by the Gyeongbuk Taekwondo Association and the Sangju Taekwondo Association, was held at Sangju Indoor Gymnasium from July 18 to 21. The event attracted over 4,200 competitors from 18 countries, including South Korea, the United States, and France, who competed in various categories such as general performances, breaking, poomsae, kicking, and sparring, comprehensively assessing participants’ skills.

On July 19, 25 Shincheonji athletes competed in the recognized poomsae individual event. Despite limited preparation time, the athletes demonstrated outstanding performance through focused training and relentless effort, securing 4 gold, 7 silver, and 14 bronze medals—achieving the remarkable feat of every participant winning a medal.

This year’s tournament also drew attention for enhancing Korea’s status in cultural diplomacy. As the homeland of Taekwondo, South Korea’s successful hosting of the international event left a strong impression on participants from both home and abroad.

Lee Jun-wi, who won a gold medal, shared:

“We didn’t have much time to train, but I tried to stay as focused as possible during the time we had. I’m grateful that my efforts resulted in this achievement.”

Head Coach Kim Deok-hoon commented:

“As an international-scale competition, many top domestic and foreign athletes participated, creating a high-level contest. I am proud of our athletes for staying composed and showing their best performance. Based on this experience, we plan to improve our training system and strategies so that we can participate with more athletes and stronger skills next year.”

The Shincheonji Taekwondo team has consistently shown outstanding results in international competitions. Earlier this month, at the 2025 Kim Un-yong Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships in Busan, all 12 Shincheonji participants won medals, including 2 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze, marking consecutive full-team medal sweeps at international events.

Last year, at the 2024 Mungyeong World Taekwondo Hanmadang, 5 out of 18 Shincheonji athletes won medals, further solidifying the team’s reputation as a well-organized and highly skilled Taekwondo squad in both domestic and international competitions.

Beyond religious activities, Shincheonji Church actively fosters talent and promotes healthy community engagement in sports, culture, and the arts, aiming to contribute to society and encourage a healthy lifestyle through sports.

The Shincheonji Taekwondo Team poses for a commemorative photo at the “2025 Park Chung-hee Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships,” held at Sangju Indoor Gymnasium, Gyeongsangbuk-do, from July 18 to 21.

Bae Do-won of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Taekwondo Team performs a recognized poomsae routine during the individual poomsae event at the “2025 Park Chung-hee Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships,” held at Sangju Indoor Gymnasium, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on July 19.
Jeong Jun-yong of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Taekwondo Team showcases his skills in the individual poomsae event at the “2025 Park Chung-hee Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships,” held at Sangju Indoor Gymnasium, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on July 19.

Lim Chang-hyeon of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Taekwondo Team competes in the individual poomsae event at the “2025 Park Chung-hee Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships,” held at Sangju Indoor Gymnasium, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on July 19.