“One, two, three! Eyes on the target, stretch your left arm straight, and shoot!”
On the afternoon of Aug. 1, at the ‘Jumong’ archery club near Gocheok Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, three foreign visitors in South Korea followed the instructions of archery instructor Lee Kyung-hwa as they drew their bows. Scores of 5, 5, and 8 were met with exclamations of excitement and disappointment.
Nguyen (31), who tried archery for the first time that day, remarked, “I didn’t realize it would require so much arm strength. My arms are killing me.” Sophie (36) said, “Learning archery in Korea, where it’s so popular, felt reliable. I was even more excited because I heard the Korean women’s archery team achieved their 10th consecutive win recently.”
Linda (34), who had randomly visited an archery café last year, shared, “I had so much fun that I brought my friends to revisit Korea this year.”
The origin of modern archery, which contrasts with traditional Korean archery, is traced back to England. It began as a sport when Henry VIII held the first archery tournament in 1538. Surprisingly, more and more foreigners are coming to Korea to learn this sport. Young athletes who have learned archery formally abroad are seizing their vacation time to learn properly in Korea, sine the country is known as an ‘archery powerhouse.’
Unlike the U.S. or Europe, where archery is mainly a recreational activity, Korean archery clubs are often run by elite coaches and athletes. While this focus on elite training is a common issue in various sports in Korea, foreigners find the professional system and rigorous training atmosphere in Korea appealing.
They mention that they are drawn to the opportunity to experience the professional training system in Korea, which is known for nurturing elite athletes. They also find the strict atmosphere, evident even in basic lessons, to be particularly appealing.
In the wake of their impressive achievements at the recent Paris Olympics, the interest in Korean archery soared.
On the 28 and 29 of July, after the Korean women’s archery team won their 10th consecutive victory and the men’s team their 3rd consecutive victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics, foreigners staying in Seoul flocked to archery clubs, curious about Korean archery.
According to the Korea Archery Association, the origin of Korean archery dates back to 1959, when the late physical education teacher Suk Geun discovered it at a junkyard and began popularizing it.
In 1963, archery was introduced as an exhibition event at a traditional Korean archery competition. The same year, Korea became an official member of the International Archery Federation (FITA). There are currently 12 registered archery clubs in Seoul and 88 nationwide.
A representative from the Korea Archery Association noted that as Korean archers consistently achieve outstanding results and gain international recognition, there is growing interest in Korean archery training methods. Additionally, many Korean instructors are now teaching foreign athletes abroad.
