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PMS welcomes rare visitors from North Korea
Sports expected to improve relations on martial arts goodwill tour

P

leasanton will welcome visitors from North Korea next week, an unprecedented event considering the U.S.'s broken relationship with the foreign country.

The North Korean National Taekwondo Demonstration Team, a non-political delegation, will be visiting the Bay Area to promote peace and friendship with the United States. The tour is sponsored by the USA Taekwondo Martial Arts Commission

On Sunday, the tour will travel to Pleasanton Middle School from 3 to 5 p.m. The tour will include a high-powered martial arts demonstration by the traveling team as well as cultural performances and martial arts demonstrations from local organizations and schools. There will also be a banquet honoring the visitors.

"With such different cultures between North Korea and the United States, this event is about a heart-to-heart connection," said Dr. Tae Yun Kim, chairman and CEO of Silicon Valley-based company Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions, and who is serving as chair for the Bay Area segment of the tour. "We are promoting unity and harmony in the world, among different cultures and in support of the reunification of the Koreas--a unified Korea, a bridge between cultures, a butterfly of peace, a circle of unity, tied together with the warrior spirit of a martial arts black belt. One Korea, one Taekwondo, one world, with 'peace' and 'unity' in Korean characters on each end of the belt."

The unification of North and South Korea has been a major focus for Korean groups and organizations across the world for years. This week, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun crossed the country's northern border and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea to begin the second summit between the two countries since the peninsula's division after World War II, according the Associated Press.

Grandmaster Woo Jin Jun, national chair and Taekwondo Times magazine publisher said the event is not only for martial artists, but for all Americans.

"We believe that this visit will help to dispel many of the rumors and stereotypes that people have about North Koreans," said event coordinator and Pleasanton resident Alan Sim.

The event will be held in Pleasanton Middle School's gymnasium, 5001 Case Ave. The public is invited to attend and tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children under 12 and free for children under 5. There will be no ticket sales at the door, so tickets must be purchased in advance. A maximum of 800 tickets will be sold.

For information, visit www.usnktkd.com. For tickets, call Sarah Alex at 408-605-6450.

--Janet Pelletier