Beginning in 1945, after the end of Japanese occupation, Korean martial artists opened schools called kwans in Seoul, many of them trained in Japanese or Chinese martial arts. Taekwondo's name was settled in the 1950s, when Choi Hong-hi proposed Tae Kwon Do, replacing the earlier term for Korean karate. In 1959 a national association was formed, but Choi broke away in 1966 to form the International Taekwon-Do Federation. In 1973 the World Taekwondo Federation was created, and its sport-focused style became the basis of Olympic competition. Taekwondo became an official medal event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.