SBS Sports' 'Tomorrow is Taekwondo King Season 2' will premiere on July 19.
This season is a taekwondo survival program aimed at discovering South Korea's next generation of taekwondo talents. Returning after a year, this season features participants who have overcome a competition ratio of 80 to 1, alongside masters who are former national representatives.
Continuing from Season 1, former national taekwondo representative Lee Dae-hoon and 'Taekwondo Trot' star Na Tae-joo will reunite as hosts. Notably, Lee Dae-hoon, who has been appointed as a coach for the U.S. taekwondo national team for the 2028 LA Olympics, will serve as a mentor, analyzing the participants' skills and guiding their development.
Newcomers include Kim Min-kyung, a former national shooting representative, and Jang Eun-sil, a former national wrestling representative. They will assess the participants' physical and mental strength based on their competitive experience. Lee Da-bin, a gold medalist from the national taekwondo team who served as a commentator last season, will join as a special master.
This season has adjusted its participant criteria to include upper-grade elementary school students. Over 400 applicants submitted their documents, including strong competitors from across the country and even international participants. Only five will earn the title of Taekwondo King.
The lineup of participants is noteworthy, featuring a champion from elementary school taekwondo competitions, the niece of former national representative No Eun-sil, and contestants who reached the final eight in Season 1. An international participant from Australia is also set to compete.
The first preliminary mission is based on the training programs of actual national taekwondo athletes. It will involve high-intensity challenges that comprehensively evaluate not only taekwondo techniques but also physical fitness, agility, game management skills, and mental resilience.
Na Tae-joo stated, "This season requires more composure and rigor than Season 1," while Jang Eun-sil remarked, "I thought it was a children's version of 'Physical: 100.'"
Lee Dae-hoon emphasized, "Ultimately, we are selecting friends who will become national representatives," adding, "We need to be more thorough in our evaluations, distinguishing between pass and fail based on objective criteria."
The identity of the participants who will advance from the first preliminary round among the 400 applicants will be revealed on July 19 at 9 a.m. on SBS Sports' 'Tomorrow is Taekwondo King Season 2.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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