World Taekwondo
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World Taekwondo is the International Federation
governing the sport of Taekwondo and is a member of the Association of
Summer Olympic International Federations [ASOIF]. WT recognises
Taekwondo national governing bodies (NGB's) recognized by the NOC in
the pertinent country, one in each country and its members. Established: May 28, 1973
Location: 4F Joyang Building 113, Samseong-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea, 135-090
President: Dr. Chungwon CHOUE [re-elected on April. 12, 2005 / Oct. 13, 2009]
Secretary General: Mr. Jean-Marie Ayer
Member Nations: as at June 2012
Regional Unions And Number of Member Nations
Asian Taekwondo Union [ATU] 43
European Taekwondo Union [ETU] 49
Pan American Taekwondo Union [PATU] 44
African Taekwondo Union [AFTU] 47
Oceania Taekwondo Union [OTU] 19
Total 202
IOC Recognition: July 1980
Olympic Games Demonstration Sport: 1988 Seoul Olympic Games & 1992
Barcelona Olympic Games
Official Olympic Sport: Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
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The Kukkiwon
The Kukkiwon has laid the groundwork for Taekwondo's globalizations. It held the very 1st World Taekwondo Championships and established the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in 1973. In 1978, The Kukkiwon finally succeeded in unifying Taekwondo by integrating 10 separate Taekwondo Kwans;Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Jido Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Kang Duk Won, Jung Do Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, Han Moo Kwan and Kwan li Kwan.
The Kukkiwon continued to cultivate the Taewondo spirit and skills and organised The Kukkiwon Taekwondo Demonstration Team in 1974 to travel worldwide introducing and spreading the Taekwondo spirit and skills. The Kukkiwon continued to promote the martial art Taekwondo actively by conducting overseas tours for Poomsae training, international seminars and academic interchanges like the World Taekwondo Leaders Forum.It has despatched 12 Taekwondo instructors to 12 underdeveloped countries in an effort to enhance the growing Taekwondo value.It facilitates and diversifies its plans to further expand and globalise Taekwondo on the Taekwondo Friendship Training Program.Such efforts are useful to register Taewondo as an official sport in the Olympics and maintaining its status as a true Olympic sport by increasing the number of Taekwondo practitioners.
The Kukkiwon set up procedures for Dan/Poom Promotion Tests which measures a trainee's commitment to his or her own personal growth in Taekwondo.Through these tests, The Kukkiwon further won its excellent reputation as the home of Taekwondo and has produced about 8 million poom/dan holders up to now.
The Kukkiwon are holding the World Taekwondo Hanmadang every year. It has created a venue for Taekwondo players to unify them all in further developing the art through the event. The essentials of Taekwondo are demonstrated through breaking, self defence and Poomsae.
