Kukkiwon
Encyclopedia
Kukkiwon also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters, and home of the World Taekwondo Academy, is the official taekwondo
governing organisation established by the South Korean government
. It is supervised by the International Sports Division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
(역삼동) in the Gangnam-Gu
(강남구) district of Seoul
, South Korea
. Construction of the main building commenced on 19 November 1971, and was completed on 30 November 1972, with the organisation being officially named on 6 February 1973. The main building accommodates up to 3,000 people for events. Standing at three storeys in height, the building's roof features kiwa (blue Korean tiles)—the same type of roofing as the Blue House (the official residence of the President of South Korea).
In May 1973, the Korea Taekwondo Association
and Kukkiwon hosted the first World Taekwondo Championships
, with 200 taekwondo competitors from 17 countries in attendance. Kukkiwon has had a permanent taekwondo demonstration team since September 1974.
Un Yong Kim was the first President of Kukkiwon, and resigned from the position on 15 November 2001. Woon Kyu Uhm of the Chung Do Kwan
was elected President on 2 March 2004. The President in late 2005 was Yong Gye Um. On 10 December 2009, Seung Wan Lee of the Jidokwan
was elected as Kukkiwon's next President.
In mid-2010, Won Sik Kang became the current President; he is also the current president of Song Moo Kwan, Korea.
(black belt
) and poom (junior black belt, for practitioners under 15 years of age) certifications. The organisation's main aims are:
's (WTF) rules, taekwondo competitors seeking entry into WTF-sanctioned events must hold black belt rank (whether poom or dan) from Kukkiwon. Kukkiwon has specified 21 articles in its regulations for poom and dan promotion tests. Article 2 of these regulations notes that they apply to all instructors and students enrolled as members of Member National Associations of the WTF. Article 4 stipulates that "WTF will support the Member National Associations to help perform the task of Dan promotion testing smoothly."
The organisation has contributed significantly to the introduction of taekwondo as a full medal sport in the Asian Games
(from Seoul 1986
) and the Olympic Games
(from Sydney 2000
). Despite these efforts, according to information published by the South Korean government, one of taekwondo's largest problems from an organisational perspective is that "over 90% of the taekwondo market operates separately from Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters" and there is a lack of communication between taekwondo organisations and Kukkiwon.
. The programme includes instruction in basic stances, self-defence, and board breaking. The Seoul Times
has reported that Kukkiwon will eventually move to the Muju Taekwondo Park, which has been designed by Samoo Architecture. The park is due to open in 2013.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
governing organisation established by the South Korean government
Government of South Korea
The Government of South Korea is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and...
. It is supervised by the International Sports Division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
History
Kukkiwon is based at 635 Yeoksam-DongYeoksam-dong
Yeoksam-dong is a ward of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Teheranno runs through Yeoksam-dong and holds many of the tallest buildings in Seoul in a collection of corporate headquarters and high-rise office buildings....
(역삼동) in the Gangnam-Gu
Gangnam-gu
Gangnam-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the most affluent areas of Seoul and is located in the southeast of the city...
(강남구) district of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Construction of the main building commenced on 19 November 1971, and was completed on 30 November 1972, with the organisation being officially named on 6 February 1973. The main building accommodates up to 3,000 people for events. Standing at three storeys in height, the building's roof features kiwa (blue Korean tiles)—the same type of roofing as the Blue House (the official residence of the President of South Korea).
In May 1973, the Korea Taekwondo Association
Korea Taekwondo Association
Korea Taekwondo Association , originally the Korea Taekwon-Do Association, is the first taekwondo organisation. It was founded in 1959, although official South Korean sources give 1961 as its year of establishment. In 1966, some members of the KTA, led by H. H...
and Kukkiwon hosted the first World Taekwondo Championships
World Taekwondo Championships
The World Taekwondo Championship is held every two years by the World Taekwondo Federation.-Competitions:-All-time medal table:All-time medal count as 2011 World Taekwondo Championships.-External links:*...
, with 200 taekwondo competitors from 17 countries in attendance. Kukkiwon has had a permanent taekwondo demonstration team since September 1974.
Un Yong Kim was the first President of Kukkiwon, and resigned from the position on 15 November 2001. Woon Kyu Uhm of the Chung Do Kwan
Chung Do Kwan
Chung Do Kwan, created by Won Kuk Lee in 1944, is the first of nine schools or kwan teaching what came to be known as taekwondo. This style of Tae Kwon Do is known for its overall power and emphasis on kicks to the head.-Founding:...
was elected President on 2 March 2004. The President in late 2005 was Yong Gye Um. On 10 December 2009, Seung Wan Lee of the Jidokwan
Jidokwan
Jidokwan is one of the original nine schools of the modern Korean martial arts that became Taekwondo and was founded in what is now South Korea at the end of World War II. Its name translates as "School of Wisdom". The Jidokwan in Korea still exists today. It functions as a social fraternal order...
was elected as Kukkiwon's next President.
In mid-2010, Won Sik Kang became the current President; he is also the current president of Song Moo Kwan, Korea.
Role
Kukkiwon is the centre of taekwondo instructor education, being the home of the World Taekwondo Academy, and issues official instructor and danDan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
(black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
) and poom (junior black belt, for practitioners under 15 years of age) certifications. The organisation's main aims are:
- "Help people to develop their spiritual and physical strength by spreading our cultural asset, Taekwondo."
- "Introducing Taekwondo's philosophy and skills in order to enhance the national prestige abroad."
Competition
According to the World Taekwondo FederationWorld Taekwondo Federation
The World Taekwondo Federation is the International Federation member of the International Olympic Committee for the competition events of the martial art of taekwondo...
's (WTF) rules, taekwondo competitors seeking entry into WTF-sanctioned events must hold black belt rank (whether poom or dan) from Kukkiwon. Kukkiwon has specified 21 articles in its regulations for poom and dan promotion tests. Article 2 of these regulations notes that they apply to all instructors and students enrolled as members of Member National Associations of the WTF. Article 4 stipulates that "WTF will support the Member National Associations to help perform the task of Dan promotion testing smoothly."
The organisation has contributed significantly to the introduction of taekwondo as a full medal sport in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
(from Seoul 1986
1986 Asian Games
The 10th Asian Games were held from September 20, 1986 to October 5, 1986 in Seoul, South Korea. The city was supposed to host the 1970 games, but it received security threats from neighboring North Korea, forcing it to give up hosting the games to previous 1966 host Bangkok, Thailand...
) and the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
(from Sydney 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
). Despite these efforts, according to information published by the South Korean government, one of taekwondo's largest problems from an organisational perspective is that "over 90% of the taekwondo market operates separately from Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters" and there is a lack of communication between taekwondo organisations and Kukkiwon.
Rank promotions
In Kukkiwon's promotion test regulations, Article 8 lists the time and age limits associated with promotion between ranks; that is, the minimum time a candidate must have held a certain rank, and the minimum age a candidate must be, before becoming eligible to be tested for promotion to the next rank. For promotion to ranks up to and including 5th dan, there are different minimum age limits depending on whether the candidate had previously been promoted into poom ranks. Time and age limits are not inflexible; for example, under Article 17, winners of Olympic Games, other world-level, and continental-level WTF championships may receive concessions. Article 18 allows for taekwondo practitioners with non-Kukkiwon ranks to apply for Kukkiwon rank certification.World Demonstration Team
Kukkiwon has its own full-time taekwondo demonstration team. In an interview in the mid-1990s, then team administrator Man Seek Choe described the team's role: "We travel to many countries promoting Taekwondo and doing promotional work for the [World Taekwondo] Federation. The team has performed every year in Europe, Asia and Africa ... Kukkiwon dispatches their World Demonstration Team to promote Taekwondo in these countries as well as in other countries where Taekwondo has not yet spread" (p. 16). Many team members are former South Korean taekwondo national champions, and all are ranked 3rd dan to 5th dan in the art.Tourism
Apart from its principal role as a governing body, Kukkiwon is an important tourist attraction for visitors to Seoul. Kukkiwon offers a 'taekwondo experience' programme for tourists at a cost of 20,000 wonSouth Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
. The programme includes instruction in basic stances, self-defence, and board breaking. The Seoul Times
The Seoul Times
The Seoul Times is an online Korean English-language newspaper. Its competitors include The Korea Times, the Korea Herald, and the English edition of the JoongAng Ilbo. The Seoul Times was founded by Joseph Joh on May 1, 2001...
has reported that Kukkiwon will eventually move to the Muju Taekwondo Park, which has been designed by Samoo Architecture. The park is due to open in 2013.
See also
- Korean martial artsKorean martial artsKorean martial arts are the martial arts that originated from Korea. Some well known Korean martial arts are hapkido, kuk sool won, and taekwondo. There has also been a revival of Korean sword arts as well as knife fighting and archery...
- Sport in South KoreaSport in South KoreaSouth Korea has traditional sports of its own, but sports imported from the West are predominant.-Traditional sports:There are various forms of folk dancing still practiced in Korea. Although not commonly considered a sport, traditional mask dance drama is physically demanding.Kite flying is...