Mexican Taekwondo Team Leaves South Korea for Tensions in the Region

Sports authorities reported today that the Mexican Taekwondo National Team, led by double Olympic medalist Maria Espinoza, will leave South Korea in the next few hours due to military tensions with North Korea.

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“All the needed process is being carried out so that the team, of 40 members, returns to Mexico as soon as possible,” Jesus Mena, director of the National Sports Commission (Conade) confirmed it to the press.

Mena stated that Juan Lopez, president of the Mexican Taekwondo Federation, called him this morning to request the closing of the merger in South Korea, where every year they assist for training purposes.

“We have been communicating with them in the last days and they have stated that there isn’t a delicate situation in the environment” said Mena, who hopes to bring back all athletes in the next hours.

North Korea reopened its main nuclear reactor during the last hours and country’s president, Kim Jong-un, declared his country in a state of war against his southern neighbor.

The Mexican team traveled to South Korea last Friday as part of their preparation for the World Championships to be held in July in the city of Puebla, central Mexico.

So far this century, taekwondo is the sport that has given the most victories to Mexico with six medals on the last four Olympic Games: two gold medals from Maria Espinoza and Guillermo Perez at Beijing 2008, a silver from Oscar Salazar at Athens 2004 and three bronze from Victor Estrada at Sydney 2000, Iridia Salazar at Athens 2004 and Maria Espinoza at London 2012.