The 1st Latin America TIA Missions Conference, hosted by the World Sports Mission (WSM) and organized by the Taekwondo In Action (TIA) Missionary Training Center, will be held in Bogota, Colombia from October 13 to 20 local time. The purpose of this conference is to strengthen taekwondo missionary capabilities in the Latin America region and open new horizons for the spread of the Gospel.

This conference is a significant gathering where TIA members from four countries—Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, and the host country, Colombia—will unite. To specialize missionary activities through taekwondo, the conference will conduct missionary candidate training (Level 1) for TIA members and will include a vision trip to achieve practical mission fulfillment. This is expected to be an important stepping stone to enhance the professional expertise of sports-based missions and strengthen cooperation with local churches and communities.

TIA began as a taekwondo mission team affiliated with the Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC). Over the past 20 years, it has led the field of global sports missions by dispatching over 180 sports (taekwondo) missionaries to 50 countries. They utilize taekwondo not merely as a martial art but as a cultural content and an effective tool for spreading the Gospel, focusing on fulfilling the Great Commission of world evangelization. TIA particularly aims to dispatch 500 taekwondo professional missionaries by 2030, and this first step in the Latin America continent is expected to make a significant contribution to achieving that vision.

Missionaries set to attend the 1st conference and share the current status and vision of missions in the Latin America region include Missionary Kim Seon-hoon from Colombia, Missionary Kang Min-hyung from Mexico, Missionary Shin Yong-woon from Ecuador, and Missionary Choi Theresa from Guatemala. Additionally, Master Han Sang-wook of the Kukkiwon Demonstration Team will participate as the representative of Colombia, adding significance to the conference and increasing local interest through a dynamic taekwondo demonstration.

This Bogota conference is expected to solidify the network of taekwondo missionaries in the Latin America region and revitalize local missions through specialized training. All eyes are on the progress of Latin America TIA as it spreads the Gospel of love and service based on the spirit of taekwondo.