![]() The Korea Taekwondo Association is based in Olympic Park, Seoul, South Korea | |
Abbreviation | KTA |
---|---|
Formation | 1959 |
Type | Government Organisation |
Purpose | Sport |
Headquarters | Olympic Park |
Location |
|
Region served | South Korea |
Official language | Korean |
President | Jin Bang Yang |
Parent organization | Korea Sports Council |
Website | www.koreataekwondo.org |
Korea Taekwondo Association (Korean: 대한 태권도 협회; Hanja: 大韓 跆拳道 協會; KTA), originally the Korea Tang Soo Do Association (1961),[1] is the first taekwondo organisation. It was founded in 1959,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][a] although official South Korean sources give 1961 as its year of establishment.[9][10][b] In 1966, some members of the KTA, led by H. H. Choi, broke off from the KTA and formed the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF). The Kukkiwon and the then-World Taekwondo Federation (WTF, now known as World Taekwondo [WT]) were created by the KTA in the early 1970s. The KTA sits under the Korea Sports Council,[11] is aligned with Kukkiwon, and is a Member National Association (MNA) of the WT.[12] Its goal is to promote the martial art taekwondo as a national sport within South Korea.[13]
The KTA's history has been marked by political difficulties. In 1959, Choi Hong-hi was the first President of the KTA and Byung Jik Ro (listed as "No" by Park, 1993) and Kae Byung Yun were the inaugural Vice-Presidents.[1] When H. H. Choi was appointed as South Korea's ambassador to Malaysia in 1962, Myung Shin Choi became the second President of the KTA.[2][14] In the early 1960s, the KTA was renamed as the Korea Taesoodo Association, and then to the current form in 1965.[15]
During the 1960s, the KTA assembled the twelve original masters of taekwondo to promote taekwondo throughout the world. Choi headed a demonstration tour of 18 countries in 1965;[16] this was one of many demonstration missions that eventually covered every continent.[17] Choi again became President in 1965, but was forced to resign after a year, reportedly due to his unpopular authoritarian leadership style.[2] He went on to establish the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) the following year. B. J. Ro of the Song Moo Kwan, who had been one of the KTA's inaugural Vice-Presidents, became the fourth President.[2]
In 1967, Yong Chae Kim of the Kang Duk Kwan became the fifth President of the KTA.[2][18] That same year, the KTA created new black belt forms, including Koryo, Keumgang, Taebaek, Pyongwon, Shipjin, Jittae, Cheongkwon, Hansoo, and Ilyo.[19] On 29 January 1971, Un Yong Kim became the sixth President of the KTA,[2] and continued in the position in 1973.[20] The KTA's leadership would remain stable for the next 20 years or so. In 1989, Chong Soo Hong from the Moo Duk Kwan was appointed Vice-President of the KTA.[21]
The early 2000s were a time of trouble for the KTA leadership. One source states that Un Yong Kim resigned from the KTA presidency in 2001,[22] while other sources state that in 1997, Pil Gon Rhee was already in place as President of the KTA.[23][24] In any case, Kim presided over the organisation for around 20 years. In March 2002, Cheon Seo Koo was elected President of the KTA,[25] and apparently held that position until at least 2004,[26] though news sources have reported that he was arrested in late 2003.[27][28]
In early 2008, Jung Gil Kim was President of the KTA.[29] On 11 June 2008, Joon Pyo Hong was elected as the 24th President of the KTA,[29] and he continued in the position in 2009.[30]
The first official KTA dan promotion test was held on 11 November 1962.[2] The KTA continued awarding dan ranks for several years,[c] but handed over direct dan promotion responsibilities to either the then-WTF in April 1976, according to a Black Belt magazine report,[31] or to Kukkiwon on 5 February 1980, according to historians Won Sik Kang and Kyong Myong Lee.[32] Since then, however, some dan ranks have apparently still been awarded under the authority of the KTA (e.g., S. S. Lee's 9th dan from the Jidokwan, KTA, in 1993).[33]