Kuwaiti minister awarded honorary Taekwondo black belt of ROK

KUWAIT, May 2 (KUNA) -- Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the State of Kuwait Chung Byung-Ha handed Kuwaiti Minister of State for Youth Affairs Dawood Marafi an honorary Taekwondo black belt, the highest sports honor in ROK, on Thursday evening.
The awarding of the belt which took place at the end of the Ambassador's Cup Taekwondo Championship 2024 at the stadium of Jaber Al-Ahmad City, came in recognition of Marafi, also minister of state for National Assembly affairs, and minister of state for communications affairs, efforts to promote the Taekwondo sport in Kuwait.
The championship, being co-organized regularly on annual basis by ROK Embassy and Kuwait Judo and Taekwondo Federation, reflects the depth of friendship between the Kuwaiti and Korean people, the minister told reporters at the closing ceremony of the championship.
The Republic of Korea boasts a rich sports heritage and robust infrastructure that entitled the country to host global sports events over the past four decades, Marafi pointed out.
He stressed the importance of strengthening the friendly relations with ROK and enhancing the visit exchanges by sportspeople of both countries to help share experiences in sports.
Marafi thanked Chung Byung-Ha for the honoring which "materialized the perfect amity between the two countries." On his part, the Korean diplomat said the Taekwondo sport serves as a bridge of friendship between the peoples of both countries.
He spoke highly of Marafi's efforts to promote the popularity of the sport among the Kuwait youth.
Chung Byung-Ha added that the championship was part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the economic cooperation between his country and Kuwait and the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. (end) fsa.tab.gb