Corea del Sur
WT · Kukkiwon
Corea del Sur es la cuna y capital mundial del Taekwondo WT. Desde la unificación de los Kwans bajo el Kukkiwon en 1972 hasta la conquista del podio olímpico en Sydney 2000, el gobierno coreano convirtió este arte marcial en el estandarte más poderoso de su diplomacia cultural — antes incluso del K-pop. Hoy, con 215 naciones afiliadas a la World Taekwondo y más de 12 millones de certificados Dan emitidos por el 국기원 (Kukkiwon), Corea del Sur define los estándares técnicos, éticos y competitivos del TKD global.
The Kwans
The Kwans and the Unification
From nine rival schools to a single national art
After the Japanese liberation in 1945, several martial arts schools known as Kwans emerged in Korea, each with its own style. The most influential were the Chung Do Kwan (Won Kuk Lee, 1945), the Moo Duk Kwan (Hwang Kee, 1945), the Chang Moo Kwan (Byung In Yoon, 1946) and the Oh Do Kwan (Choi Hong Hi, 1953, linked to the Army). In 1952, President Syngman Rhee ordered all soldiers to learn Korean martial arts after watching a Taekyon demonstration, entrusting the task to Captain Choi Hong Hi.
On 11 April 1955, a presidential committee officially adopted the name 'Taekwondo' to unify the arts. The Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was founded in 1961 as the first attempt at national unification, and the process culminated on 30 November 1972 with the inauguration of the Kukkiwon — the physical and spiritual seat that would give TKD a unique identity before the world.
“One name, one technique, one certificate — the Kukkiwon unifies world Taekwondo.”
The Kukkiwon
The Kukkiwon (국기원) — World Technical Headquarters
12.3 million Dan certificates — the passport of global TKD
The Kukkiwon (국기원, 'House of National Martial Arts') is located in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. Its construction began in November 1971 and concluded on 30 November 1972; the official name 'Kukkiwon' was adopted on 6 February 1973. Founded by Kim Un-yong as its first president, the Kukkiwon operates as the supreme technical reference of TKD: it defines the official poomsaes, certifies instructors, publishes the Taekwondo Textbook and issues the Dan certificates recognised by the IOC.
As of 2026, it has issued more than 12.3 million poom-dan certificates worldwide (approximately 5.6 million Dan and 6.7 million Poom). The Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo (WT) are legally separate entities: the Kukkiwon defines the technique, the WT governs competition.
“More than 12 million Dan and Poom certified — the passport of global Taekwondo.”
Olympic Path
The WT and the Olympic Path
27 years of martial diplomacy until Sydney 2000
On 28 May 1973, representatives of 35 countries gathered at the Kukkiwon to found the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), today rebranded as World Taekwondo (WT) since 2017. Kim Un-yong was elected its first president, and that same year the 1st World Championship was held in Seoul. The WTF was recognised by the IOC on 17 July 1980.
TKD was a demonstration sport at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 — in Seoul, the Koreans won nine of the sixteen categories. Finally, on 4 September 1994, the IOC voted in Paris to include Taekwondo as an official sport at the Sydney 2000 Games, turning a three-decade dream into reality. As of 2026, the WT has 215 national member associations.
“From the Seoul Kukkiwon to the Olympic Games: 27 years of martial diplomacy.”
Soft Power
TKD as National Identity and Instrument of Soft Power
Before K-pop, Taekwondo was already Korea's biggest cultural export
Since President Park Chung-hee declared Taekwondo the national sport on 20 March 1971, the martial art became a deliberate instrument of foreign policy. The Army adopted TKD as compulsory basic training, and in 1974 its inclusion in the physical education curriculum of primary schools was ordered (extended to secondary schools in 1996).
Korean military instructors exported TKD to Asia, Latin America and Africa during the 1960s and 1970s, turning the martial art into the first great success of Korean cultural diplomacy — long before the Hallyu (Korean wave) of the 2000s. Today TKD appears in films, K-dramas and video games, and the pilgrimage to the Kukkiwon to obtain the Dan is a tradition for practitioners around the world.
“Before K-pop, Taekwondo was already Korea's biggest cultural export.”
Olympic Dominance
South Korea at the Olympic Games (2000–2024)
22 medals, 12 golds — the most successful nation in Olympic TKD
South Korea is the most successful nation in the history of Olympic Taekwondo, with 22 medals (12 gold, 3 silver, 7 bronze) from Sydney 2000 to Paris 2024. In Sydney 2000, Kim Kyong-hun won the first official men's Olympic gold (+80 kg). In Athens 2004, Moon Dae-sung repeated in that category with a spectacular reverse-kick knockout. In Beijing 2008, Korea added 4 golds — the historical maximum in a single cycle.
Hwang Kyung-seon revalidated her title in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, becoming the only athlete to win three Olympic TKD medals (2 gold + 1 bronze) and considered the greatest TKD athlete of all time. In Tokyo 2020, for the first time, Korea did not obtain any gold. In Paris 2024, Kim Yu-jin and Park Tae-joon brought back the golden colour to the Korean delegation with 2 golds.
“Hwang Kyung-seon: 3 Olympic medals, 6 World titles — the greatest legend of TKD.”
Taekwondowon
The Taekwondowon of Muju (태권도원)
231 hectares dedicated exclusively to the art Korea gave to the world
In Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do province, the Korean government built the Taekwondowon (태권도원) — the only world-scale Taekwondo experience park. The Act for the Promotion of Taekwondo and the Creation of the Taekwondo Park (2007) laid the legal foundations. Construction began in March 2009, was completed in August 2013 and the complex opened in 2014.
It occupies 2,314,000 m² (≈231 hectares, equivalent to 70% of New York's Central Park). Its facilities include the T1 Stadium (4,500 spectators), the National Taekwondo Museum, the Yap! Experience Centre, the Doyak Hall (lodging) and multiple training rooms. In 2017 it hosted the Muju World Taekwondo Championship — the most recent held in South Korea. Administered by the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation (TPF).
“Muju: 231 hectares dedicated exclusively to the art Korea gave to the world.”
Taekwondo en Corea del Sur
- ›Presidente fundador de la WTF (1973–2004)
- ›Primer presidente del Kukkiwon
- ›Arquitecto de la inclusión olímpica del TKD en Sydney 2000
- ›Vicepresidente del COI (2003–2005)
- ›Condenado por malversación (2004) — renunció al COI (2005)
- ›🥇 Tres medallas olímpicas: Atenas 2004, Pekín 2008 (oro) y Londres 2012 (bronce)
- ›Única atleta con 3 medallas olímpicas en TKD
- ›6 veces campeona mundial
- ›Considerada la mejor atleta de TKD de todos los tiempos
- ›🥇 Oro Olímpico Atenas 2004 — +80 kg (nocaut de patada inversa)
- ›Uno de los momentos más icónicos del TKD olímpico
- ›Miembro del Parlamento de Corea del Sur
- ›Presidente de la World Taekwondo Academy
- ›Desarrolló los 8 poomsaes Taegeuk — currículo de millones de practicantes
- ›Sistematizó las formas de cinturón negro Kukkiwon
- ›Maestro técnico del Kukkiwon — referencia técnica suprema del TKD
Sigue explorando
La historia del Taekwondo continúa en cada dojang, en cada clase, en cada estudiante.