Welcome to the beginning of WI Taekwondo

With your consistent interest and support, we have been able to hold World Taekwondo
Festivals for over a decade now. As we prepare for the 11th festival, it is with great
excitement that we look forward to seeing you once again to confirm our love and passion
for Taekwondo, as well as the firm friendship that exists among us. With the backing and
support given to us by you, we strive to improve every year, making the event more
agreeable and enjoyable for all.

For the 2008 Festival we invented the phrase "WI are one.", meaning "WI" as a newly
combined concept of the WTF and the ITF hoping these two organizations would form a
sporting community of harmonious co-existence. In a continuance of that year’s first step in
the cooperation between Taekwondo's governing bodies, the "11th World Taekwondo Festival
and Korea Classic Open 2010" will be held in conjunction with one of the biggest events in
the ITF calendar, the "Taekwon-Do ITF World Championships: 10th Junior, 15th Adult and 1st
Senior."

At present, WTF Taekwondo is an Olympic sport whereas ITF Taekwon-Do is not. The two
forms differ in that WTF Taekwondo is primarily foot based, and ITF Taekwon-Do
incorporates both hands and feet. Like wrestling seen in the Olympic games, which
practices greco-roman style and free style, it is our wish that ITF Taekwondo-Do will also
gain recognition as a separate category of Olympic Taekwondo. There is no need to combine
the two different styles. With the realization of this wish, more medals will be won by more
Taekwondo players and more countries, in this marital art.

We hope you will join the WI Taekwondo Festival in the homeland of Taekwondo to witness
the unification of 60 million WTF and 30 million ITF members. Please enjoy this opportunity
to meet friends from both communities through our common language, Taekwondo.