'Colossal' Taekwondo Summit Set For Seoul

(ATR) The International Taekwondo Federation and World Taekwondo leadership will meet on June 29 in Seoul to advance discussions of demonstration team traveling to Pyongyang, North Korea in September.

The World Taekwondo demonstration team’s trip would be the follow through of the protocols of accord signed by the two taekwondo federations in Nanjing, China during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. The protocols recognized the mutual history of each federation and pledged future cooperation.

Members of the ITF delegation and World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue stressed to Around the Rings the importance of the summit. The talks have taken on added importance because of the sensitive geopolitical situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The ITF broke away after the South Korean government endorsed the founding of the World Taekwondo Federation in 1973. World Taekwondo has since become the IOC-recognized governing International Federation for the sport, joining the Olympic program in 2000.

The ITF is now headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and organizes its own world championship. Its president Yong Son Ri and honorary president Ung Chang are both from North Korea. Coincidentally the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships are being held in Muju, South Korea and the ITF World Championships will be held in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Both Ri and Chang are part of the ITF delegation that traveled to Muju. After performing at the championship’s opening ceremony the demonstration team will deliver three more performances throughout South Korea. Then Presidents Choue and Ri will meet at the World Taekwondo headquarters in Seoul. These performances are the first time an ITF team has visited South Korea since the federations split.

Chang, an IOC member from North Korea, says that he will not be part of the ITF-World Taekwondo talks, having stepped down as ITF President in 2014. Still, he believes that World Taekwondo "will conform" and make certain a demonstration team visits Pyongyang. Chang said he believes the magnitude of the upcoming talks is "colossal." All parties acknowledge it is up to both Korean governments to ensure the trip.

Such is the importance of South Korean President Jae In Moon's attandance of the opening ceremony of the 2017 World Championships. Moon spoke of a future with a united Korea coming from the thawing of relations seen in Muju.

"Without government support, the government issues with [the demonstration team] cannot be sorted out the proper way, that’s the point," Chang said to ATR.

George Vitale, ITF spokesperson, told ATR that the delegation is aware of the highly sensitive nature of the visit. The delegation is working to ensure everything runs smoothly to better the chances of no government-caused uncertainties going forward.

"We hope that this event goes so well that it leads to an environment that those that have this type of political control that will allow the access that is needed," Vitale said. "We are very grateful for this opportunity, and I think that we look forward to more and more opportunities because this will be good for all of taekwondo."

Choue told ATR that World Taekwondo officials are waiting for an official invitation from the ITF, but all parties verbally agreed to travel to Pyongyang in May 2016. He exuded confidence that it will happen, even though travel arrangements have not been officially decided.

"I think while they are here we are going to have a detailed dialogue," Choue said. "It has been agreed since 2014…but as you know the circumstance in the Korean peninsula is not in very good shape. This kind of taekwondo demonstration exchange program can ease tension between North and South."

After the ITF-World Taekwondo talks, the delegations will meet with IOC President Thomas Bach. Bach will be in Korea from June 28 through the closing of the 2017 Taekwondo Championships on June 30.

Chang said that speaking with President Bach will be a watershed moment, given the IOC President’s role in mediating talks ahead of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

"I will press him to continue his support for taekwondo," Chang said. "The long range target is to merge two federations into one, but in the near term it is ITF [and WF] athletes going to the Olympics together."

Vitale says the ITF believes there is no doubt the federation will see its registered athletes participating in Tokyo 2020. That combined with the significance the demonstration team brought to Muju shows the need to keep the sport at the forefront of the Olympic movement.

"I cannot imagine any IOC member will vote to remove taekwondo from the official Olympic program, as their whole model is peace through sport," Vitale said. "They can point to the Korean peninsula and they can say look what we have helped achieve through this aspect."

The dreams of using this championship as a mission for peace are alive in Choue’s mind. He took time out from a dinner held between the two taekwondo delegations to share his vision of the future brought from this week’s dialogue.

"I said to everybody," Choue told ATR. "One taekwondo. One Korea. One world. Why not?"

Written by Aaron Bauerin Muju

Travel paid for by World Taekwondo

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