Cabo Verde, where only 6 South Koreans live, experiences local passion led by K-sports Taekwondo

In Cabo Verde, an island nation on the west coast of Africa, the traditional Korean martial art of Taekwondo is gaining popularity among the locals. In the 227th broadcast of JTBC 'Talk Pa One 25 O'Clock', the Taekwondo craze in Cabo Verde, an unfamiliar country where only 6 South Koreans reside, was introduced.

A Cabo Verde Taekwondo Dojang where 70–80 local trainees gather

The Cabo Verde Taekwondo dojang featured in the video is operated by instructor Kim Yeong-gi. Kim is active locally, combining his work with ministry, such as teaching Bible verses through Taekwondo. It was revealed that approximately 70 to 80 local trainees visit the dojang to learn Taekwondo.

The video captures local trainees performing Taekwondo movements. The cast members wore doboks and personally followed the Taekwondo movements to check the flexibility and performance abilities of the local trainees. In the video, a scene was staged where one of the trainees attempted a breaking drill, and after succeeding, the local trainee expressed the ambition to become a Taekwondo athlete.

Local trainees enjoying K-pop, "I want to visit South Korea"

Local trainees captivated by Taekwondo also showed interest in Korean culture. One trainee replied that they enjoy listening to K-pop rather than Korean dramas, naming artists such as NewJeans, Blackpink, and BabyMonster. They further expressed their desire to visit South Korea.

Sal, a resort formed by salt mines, and the shark sighting area

After visiting the Taekwondo dojang, the itinerary continued to Sal, a representative resort in Cabo Verde. Sal means 'salt' in Portuguese, and the city was formed in a place where numerous salt mines existed in the past. Discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 1460s, this island was difficult to inhabit in the past due to climate issues, but settlement began through salt production.

Afterward, the cast visited the Scherbay area, where sharks appear, to continue the schedule of observing sharks.

Source: JTBC Entertainment (YouTube)