By Kang Seok-jae
Vice President, Asia Journalists Association
PRAGUE: Hangung, a grassroots sport created in Korea, has once again demonstrated its strong international presence on the global stage in Prague, Czech Republic.
The World Hangung Association (WHA), led by Hangung founder and president Hu Kwang, announced on May 28 that it successfully promoted Hangung to global sports officials at the 29th TAFISA World Congress, held from May 13 to 17 in Prague.
The event was attended by Hangung founder and WHA Chairman Hu Kwang, alongside WHA Vice President Kang Seok-jae. The leadership actively promoted the values and potential of Hangung across various official programs, including poster sessions, plenary, regional meetings, and thematic group sessions.
Notably, a Hangung board was set up at the Hangung poster zone – one of only 25 strictly selected TAFISA member poster exhibition spots – allowing participants to experience the sport firsthand.
Visitors showed immense interest in photographs displaying wheelchair users, the visually impaired, and senior citizens over 80 participating in Hangung tournaments.
They highly praised Hangung as a “barrier-free” sport that anyone can enjoy, transcending generations and physical disabilities.
During the official sessions, Vice President Kang Seok-jae, who also ran for the 2026-2029 TAFISA Board of Directors, explained the unique biomechanics and health benefits of Hangung, which requires using both hands. Kang, who also serves as president of the Seoul Hangung Association, emphasized that “Hangung contributes to improving health for everyone beyond age and disability. It is particularly effective for body balance and preventing dementia,” garnering deep empathy from the attendees.
Furthermore, as part of his election pledge, Kang announced plans for the “WHA-TAFISA Global Hangung Care Program,” designed to support underprivileged groups worldwide, including orphans, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Kang, who also serves as a member of the World Taekwondo (WT) Advisory Committee and vice president of the Asia Journalist Association, raised awareness for sports-driven social contribution by taking photos with participants holding a “WT-Korea Culture Foundation (KCF) Cares Program” banner. KCF is headed by chairman Kim Joon-il.
During the event, WHA President Hu Kwang and Vice President Kang Seok-jae shared a warm moment taking photographs in front of the Hangung board with German Wolfgang Baumann, the immediate past president of TAFISA, and Janez Sodrznik, the newly elected TAFISA president from Slovenia.
The TAFISA leaders expressed their ongoing support, noting, “We are already very familiar with Hangung since a Hangung board is installed at the TAFISA headquarters in Germany.”
The World Hangung Association became an official international member at the TAFISA General Assembly in 2015, and Hangung was officially recognized by TAFISA as a Traditional Sport and Game (TSG) that year.
Founded in Korea in 2006, Hangung has been expanding its footprint both domestically and internationally, especially after being officially approved by both the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Korea Paralympic Committee as a recognition sport in 2021.
Hangung is an original grassroots sport that blends traditional Korean games like Tuho (arrow tossing) and Gukgung (Korean archery) with Western darts, archery, and modern IT technology.
Currently, about 2 million people enjoy Hangung in Korea, and it has been distributed to about 30,000 senior centers nationwide. Following its introduction to Japan in 2013, Hangung was adopted as an official sport at the 2022 Korean-American National Adaptive Sports Festival in the United States.
Starting from the 2025 school year, Hangung has been officially included in special education textbooks for teachers for elementary, middle, and high schools across Korea.
Institutional support within Korea is also gaining momentum. The “Hangung Promotion Act,” proposed by National Assembly member Park Soo-hyun last February, is currently under review at the National Assembly, with a related policy seminar held last March to establish a structured support framework.
“Taking our participation in this TAFISA World Congress in Prague as a stepping stone, we plan to actively participate not only in future World Congresses but also in TAFISA Asia regional events,” said WHA President Hu Kwang. “We will do our utmost to further accelerate the globalization of Hangung.”
(Pictures by: Kang Seok-jae)
