On October 15, 2024, VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea) held a strategic seminar in collaboration with the Korea Taekkyon Federation to promote the traditional Korean martial art, Taekkyon, as a global Hallyu star. The event focused on increasing awareness of Taekkyon among 200 million international Hallyu fans.

Key attendees included Oh Seong-geun, Secretary General of the Korea Taekkyon Federation, Ahn Chi-young, Deputy Director, and VANK’s director, Park Ki-tae, along with other VANK members and researchers from the U.S. Kwon So-young highlighted the organization’s previous achievements in globalizing Taekkyon.

VANK has produced 4,000 sets of promotional materials, including 48,000 English-language postcards, featuring Taekkyon as one of twelve “Hallyu stars in history.” They also created 10,000 English world maps introducing Taekkyon to schools worldwide. Additional efforts include public policy proposals for incorporating Taekkyon into national campaigns.

The seminar generated several promotional ideas, such as blending Taekkyon into popular culture (Hye-seung Seong), AR integration and Taekkyon choreography in K-pop (Ji-hye Kim), and wellness-focused programs (Seung-hyeon Koo). American researcher Keziah Yoo proposed creating trendy videos showcasing Taekkyon’s distinctive kicking techniques, while Christine Mau suggested Taekkyon pop-ups at school festivals.

Park Ki-tae expressed VANK’s commitment to leveraging Hallyu’s popularity to promote Korea’s rich history and culture, ensuring Taekkyon’s place on the global stage. In recognition of their efforts, VANK members were awarded honorary Taekkyon certificates by the Korea Taekkyon Federation.