Thai English-language media outlet "Thaiger" is reporting that World Taekwondo, the governing body for Olympic-style taekwondo, may ban countries from competing in the upcoming Asian Games if they plan on taking part in a "North Korean-style" taekwondo event to be held at next year's Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. Thaiger cites the vice president of the Olympic Committee of Thailand, Chaipak Siriwat, who said Thailand will not send athletes to compete in the sport and warned World Taekwondo may sanction countries that do take part in the competition.

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Though World Taekwondo, which has it's headquarters in South Korea, is the primary governing body of taekwondo around the world, and the only taekwondo organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee, there are competing organizations. One of these is the International Taekwon-do Federation which is run from North Korea (to further complicate matters, there is a rival International Taekwon-do Federation which is governed internationally). Though WT-style taekwondo has been a Southeast Asian Games sport since 1985, host countries are entitled to nominate new sports and Cambodia, which has done well in ITF-style taekwondo competitions, has decided to include the latter event as well in next year's SEA Games.