North Korea completed construction on a taekwondo center in its capital city to better showcase the merits of the traditional martial art, a state-run newspaper said Saturday.

The Rodong Shinmun, picked up in Seoul, said the center has been built in downtown Pyongyang.

The center houses a training center, library, international conference hall, history museum and other amenities, with the roof of the tiled structure covering over 10,000 square meters.

The paper said the center will highlight North Korea's central role in taekwondo and pay tribute to the ingeniousness and spirit imbued in the martial art. The new center will further contribute to the dignity and honor of taekwondo's birthplace.

North Korea created the International Taekwondo Federation and holds international matches every year. The federation competes with South Korea's World Taekwondo Federation, which is headquartered in Seoul. (Yonhap)