Untitled Document
 Last
week, American President Barack Obama visited Korea. It was his first
visit to our country. President Lee Myung-bak welcomed him warmly. Mr. Lee gave the
American president a very special gift. In fact, he personally chose the gift
for Mr. Obama. Can you guess what it was?
Mr. Obama arrived in Seoul on November 18. Before coming to Korea,
he visited Japan, Singapore, and China. Korea was the last destination on his Asian
tour. On November 19, Mr. Lee and Mr. Obama met at the presidential office in Seoul.
To welcome the American President, Mr. Lee presented him with a Taekwondo
uniform including an honorary black belt! Our
President chose the gift because Mr. Obama is interested in martial arts. As a matter of fact, he practiced Taekwondo for about
4 years in Chicago when he was a senator in Illinois. He obtained a green belt.
Mr. Obama said he was happy to receive the special gift.
He even showed off his Taekwondo skills! “I think Taekwondo
is a really great martial art. It makes my body healthy and strong,”
said Obama. “I acquired some useful self-defense skills while
learning Taekwondo.”
Taekwondo is a Korean traditional martial art.
It was created about 2,000 years ago. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics,
Taekwondo became an official Olympic sport. Now
it is a world-famous sport. Not only
the American President but also many people in the world are practicing
Taekwondo. We should be proud of our great martial
art, Taekwondo! |
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