The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has a plan to lure foreign tourists to the country next year by incorporating the Korean traditional sport of taekwondo into tour programs.

The state-run organization plans to increase what it calls 'taekwondo tourists' from the seven-thousand or so this year to 12-thousand next year by hosting more demonstrations and performances of the Korean martial art.

The agency will also seek cooperation from the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Kukkiwon, or the World Taekwondo Headquarters, in Seoul.

The organization will also actively promote the taekwondo tour packages through its 26 overseas offices. The Gangnam district in southern Seoul will combine taekwondo performances at the World Taekwondo Headquarters with a home stay program to increase the appeal of tour packages.

The KTO believes taekwondo has high tourist potential as seven million people in 180 countries participate in the sport. It believes stronger overseas marketing will help related organizations achieve their goal of attracting 70-thousand foreign tourists to the opening of Taekwondo Park in Muju, set to launch in 2012.