Two soldiers compete during a taekwondo exhibition at the Cary Fitness Center on Camp Casey, South Korea, June 8, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP CASEY, South Korea — Hundreds of U.S. and South Korean soldiers from all branches of the military gathered recently for a friendly taekwondo tournament at this base 13 miles from the border with North Korea.
More than 1,000 people attended Friday's Korea-U.S. Friendship Combat Taekwondo Exhibition, including 403 South Korean military personnel, 400 Americans and other participants and guests, according to an email sent Tuesday by Camp Casey spokesman Sergeant Rogney Ortiz Vega.
“These events are “By building cultural understanding, they can build the foundation for strong bonds that will impact generations to come,” Brig. Gen. Sean Crockett, 8th Army vice commander, said during the opening ceremony at the Cary Fitness Center. “Today's competitors are tomorrow's leaders.”
A taekwondo practitioner demonstrates an aerial kick during a taekwondo exhibition at the Cary Fitness Center in Camp Casey, South Korea, on June 28, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
The event's combat bouts were organized by weight class, from flyweight to super heavyweight for men and from flyweight to welterweight for women.
Other events included pine plank splitting, high jump kick and speed kick.
Ortiz Vega said the regular exhibition, which began in 2003, promotes friendly relations between the Korean and U.S. military through participation in traditional Korean sports.
The event is hosted by the World Taekwondo Headquarters, the Ministry of Culture, and the Korea Sports Foundation, and co-hosted by the Foreigner Taekwondo Cultural Association and Camp Casey.
Two soldiers compete during a taekwondo exhibition at the Cary Fitness Center on Camp Casey, South Korea, June 28, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Gen. Sean Crockett, 8th Army deputy commander, speaks during a taekwondo exhibition at the Cary Fitness Center on Camp Casey, South Korea, June 28, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Ortiz Vega said soldiers from Camp Casey, Camp Humphreys, Camp Carroll, Camp Walker, K-16 Air Base and Osan Air Base were invited to the exhibit, as well as soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen from the South Korean military.
A taekwondo demonstration during the opening ceremony featured martial artists showing off skills such as board-breaking.
“We may not speak the same language, but we speak the language of armaments, the language of competition and the language of friendship,” Crockett said.
