Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Kukkiwon Mou topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buena Park Council Approves Amended MOU with Kukkiwon California for Five Facility Days, Adds First‑Year Review and Logo Protections
Summary
After residents raised concerns that a single for‑profit taekwondo organization could disadvantage local schools and studios, Buena Park’s council approved a two‑year memorandum of understanding with Kukkiwon California LLC limited to five facility days in 2025, with a first‑year evaluation, required collaboration with local taekwondo schools and city approval of any use of the city logo.
Buena Park — The City Council on Tuesday approved an amended memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kukkiwon California LLC to allow the organization limited, preferential use of city banquet facilities for taekwondo certification and promotional events, subject to a first‑year review and additional safeguards.
Assistant City Manager Eddie Fenton told the council the MOU would allow Kukkiwon California to use city banquet facilities on five specific dates in 2025 and that any additional reservations would be paid at the city’s published facility rates. "With city council approval tonight, this item authorizes the mayor to sign the agreement," Fenton said when introducing the item.
The vote followed public comment that split sharply. Young Choi, a former planning commissioner and local taekwondo business owner, warned the MOU could give a single organization an unfair advantage and urged equal opportunity for existing local schools: "If there's MOU, must be equal opportunity just like everybody else," Choi said, urging the council to protect local businesses. By contrast, Joe Peck, a private citizen, urged support for taekwondo programming as a youth discipline and praised city sponsorship of similar programs elsewhere.
Councilmembers raised three recurring concerns: whether the arrangement would disadvantage local taekwondo businesses, whether the city should offer discounted facility use to a for‑profit entity, and how to measure economic benefit. Several members, including Councilmember Hoke and Vice Mayor Traut, said they would support the MOU only with conditions. Hoke moved an amendment that made the second year contingent on a successful first‑year review; Traut seconded.
The council also directed staff to add explicit protections for the city’s logo and promotional materials and to require Kukkiwon California to make a good‑faith effort to collaborate with local taekwondo schools. City Attorney comments during the discussion noted that the city can make public facilities available for educational purposes but that enforceability of any requirement (for example, forcing participants to use Buena Park hotels) would be a policy question.
The amended recommended action — described in the meeting as a two‑year MOU with a first‑year evaluation and city approval for logo use — was approved by the council. Staff announced a planned signing event on Thursday the 27th at 11 a.m.
What this means: The MOU allows Kukkiwon California limited, low‑cost access to city facilities for certification and community events while building in an early evaluation point and logo‑use protections intended to limit the city’s exposure and encourage outreach to existing local operators. The council did not adopt any requirement forcing participants to stay in Buena Park hotels; staff said the MOU only "promote[s] and recommend[s]" Buena Park hotels on Kukkiwon’s materials.
Next steps: Staff will prepare the final MOU language reflecting the council’s amendments, schedule the signing event and return to the council for any future extensions after the first‑year review.
