North Korea has backtracked from its initial agreement and refused South Korea’s request to participate in an international Taekwondo event to be held in Pyongyang next month.
 
The Seoul headquarters of World Taekwondo(WT) said on Friday that the organizing committee of the North-led International Taekwondo Federation(ITF) World Championships sent an e-mail last Saturday informing of their refusal of participation by a WT demonstration team in the North Korean event.  
 
An official of the WT told KBS that the ITF’s two-line e-mail said it is not “a proper time” for the South Korean team to come to Pyongyang.
 
An ITF demonstration team participated in the WT World Taekwondo Championships held in June in South Korea.  At the time, the ITF invited a demonstration team from the WT to visit the ITF World Championships in Pyongyang. 
 
The ITF World Championships will be held in Pyongyang for five days beginning September 17th.