The Chuncheon 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships moved into its first competition day on 16 September at the Air Dome in Songam Sports Town, Korea. Eight divisions were decided, producing the first batch of the 42 world titles up for grabs at this edition.
Day one: eight gold medals awarded
Korea took four of the eight golds, three of them in individual divisions plus one in the Female Team Under 30 event. The United States claimed two titles, with Brazil and Norway taking one each. Korea ends the opening day at the top of the gold-medal standings.
The podium on day one spanned Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania - a sign that the competitive depth in recognised poomsae is no longer concentrated in a single delegation.
Korea: cadet, junior and freestyle titles
In Individual Female Cadet, Korea's Gahui Seol won gold ahead of Australia's Ella Kim, with Joniya Yua Ysabelle Obiacoro of the Philippines and Yu Shan Chang of Chinese Taipei sharing bronze.
Individual Female Junior went to Korea's Jihye Park, with China's Yuqi Li taking silver and Ka Ching Ng of Hong Kong, China plus Elenielle Ong of the United States claiming bronze.
In Freestyle Poomsae Individual Male Under 17, Korea's Jae Young Byeon took gold, Mexico's Miguel Angel Moreno Gomez silver, and Thailand's Punnathorn Sirisom with Chinese Taipei's Chiu-Yang Chao bronze.
In the team events, Korea's Yubin Shin, Seung Min Yoo and Chae Won Seo won the Female Team Under 30 title ahead of Iran, with the Philippines and Vietnam sharing bronze.
Two titles for the United States, one each for Brazil and Norway
The United States' Minki Seong won Individual Male Under 50, finishing ahead of Li Chung Wang of Chinese Taipei, with Reza Rabiei of Canada and Korea's Hak Dong Kim taking bronze.
In Pair Under 60, Thoa Nguyen and Sungwoo Ha of the United States took gold ahead of France's Celine Hery and Farid Begag, with Brazil and Hong Kong, China completing the podium.
Brazil's Raimundo Renato won Individual Male Under 65, defeating Korea's Hakgyu Kim for the title, while Ky-Tu Dang of Denmark and Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkiye earned bronze.
Norway's Anna Kim closed out the opening-day champions in Individual Female Under 50, ahead of Malaysia's Ester Salimun, with Tina Herrmann of Germany and Korea's Eunju Kim sharing bronze.
Day-one golds: Korea 4, United States 2, Brazil 1, Norway 1. A total of 1,417 athletes are competing for 42 world titles through 20 September.
Three gear checks for poomsae competition
Poomsae and kyorugi ask different things of a dobok. Kyorugi rewards light weight and heat dissipation; poomsae rewards a full range of motion. A clean front stance or a held side kick needs room through the shoulder and armpit, while the skirt should not drift during a held posture. That is why a poomsae-specific uniform is usually a little heavier than a training uniform in the same size.
The second check is neck colour against rank. By convention, Poom (junior) holders wear a white neck and Dan holders a black neck, and both team entry and on-site inspection will verify it. Stocking both versions ahead of a season is safer than topping up mid-competition.
The third check is sizing headroom and rotation. Athletes in youth divisions can cross one or two sizes between seasons, so size by height with growth allowance. Pair that with two sets per competitor - one on the floor, one rotating - so nobody competes in a uniform that has not dried.
MOOTO has partnered with World Taekwondo since 1984 and supplies equipment across WT events. In the poomsae line, the Taebek series is built specifically for poomsae and comes in Poom and Dan versions for men and women. Dojangs and national squads planning a poomsae kit can submit headcount, rank mix and region through the on-site inquiry channel for size-ratio guidance.
Taebek 2 Poomsae Uniform Dan Male
韩国原装太白品势服 WT认证款
Taebek 2.1 Poomsae Uniform Dan Female
韩国原装太白品势服 WT认证款
Frequently asked questions
journal.faq
Q1.When and where is Chuncheon 2026 being held?+
The championships run from 16 to 20 September 2026 at the Air Dome, Songam Sports Town, Chuncheon, Korea. It is a World Taekwondo G-8 event with 1,417 athletes competing for 42 world titles.
Q2.How many gold medals were decided on day one?+
Eight gold medals were decided on the opening competition day: Korea 4, United States 2, Brazil 1 and Norway 1, leaving Korea top of the gold-medal standings.
Q3.Is there a uniform requirement for poomsae?+
In poomsae competition, Poom holders typically wear a white-neck dobok and Dan holders a black-neck dobok. Always confirm against the event competition rules and on-site inspection. Dojangs should stock both versions to match their squad's rank mix.
Q4.How should a dojang plan poomsae uniform ratios?+
Size by height with growth allowance and budget two sets per competitor - one on the floor, one rotating. Submit your headcount, rank mix and region through the inquiry channel for tailored size-ratio guidance.
journal.takeaways
- →Eight golds on day one: Korea 4, United States 2, Brazil 1 and Norway 1.
- →Korea's four titles came in Female Cadet, Female Junior, Freestyle Male Under 17 and Female Team Under 30.
- →Some 1,417 athletes are competing for 42 world titles from 16 to 20 September.
- →Poomsae dobok selection comes down to shoulder range, neck colour vs rank, and sizing headroom with a spare set.
- →Dojangs can submit headcount and rank mix for poomsae size-ratio guidance.
