Peace

Corps Launched in 2008

summer dispatch. They were dominantly university students in their 20s. Through a strict screening procedure, including tests and interviews, 27 volunteers, including 19 males, were selected as members of the TPC, and were sent to seven regions in five different nations: China, India, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Russia. Prior to the dispatch, they participated in 15 different TPC volunteer training programs, which included courses on Taekwondo spirit, Taekwondo rules, Taekwondo teaching methods, Taekwondo competitions, Taekwondo Poomsae, referee training, health education, meditation, Korean language, cultural understanding, etc.

Taekwondo learners, practitioners, and local residents were all invited to participate in the programs provided by the TPC. All the programs, thus, were managed based on participants’ spontaneity.

The TPC delivered Taekwondo instruction programs and education packages for local Taekwondo instructors, while administering special programs customized for different levels - beginners, intermediate, advanced, children/youth/adults - for other participants.

TPC volunteer training programs were given with respect to what volunteers are responsible for as visitors and what they are accountable for as TPC members. TPC programs for local instructors and participants similar to the TPC volunteer training programs were offered as well.

Taekwondo teaches virtues of self-reflection, self-discipline, self-control, confidence, respect, patience, and balance of body and mind. These virtues help make our mind peaceful, synchronize the mind with the movements, and extend this harmony to life and society. In the sense that Taekwondo ultimately pursues peace among humankind and the harmony between the humanity and the nature, its essence shares with the fundamental principles of the United Nations (U.N.) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

World Taekwondo (WT), an International Federation governing the sport of Taekwondo, and GCS International, an NGO in a special consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council, under the leadership of Chungwon Choue as President of the two organizations, seek feasible ways to share the value and philosophy of Taekwondo through goodwill activities.

As a result, the Taekwondo Peace Corps (TPC) was proposed, and launched with the hope to share the spirit of Taekwondo and to demonstrate that sport can indeed contribute to promoting global peace and communication as well as to education and sustainable social development.

WT and GCS International together had been searching for ways to contribute to peace and social development in the global community. The Taekwondo Peace Corps was one of the ambitious projects devised to realize this vision. For the purpose of maximal productivity and managerial efficiency of the TPC, multifaceted collaboration and international support were mobilized within the Taekwondo community. A prospect of the U.N. and the IOC working together to promote global peace and harmony through sport endowed further motivation for the TPC project.

The TPC was expected to supplement and refine the existing solidarity program of WT, which has been providing Taekwondo equipment and training opportunities to the less-developed WT member nations; to share the spirit of Taekwondo and respect for humankind: to give participants an opportunity to learn about the Taekwondo culture of cultivating sound mind and healthy body; and to encourage young people to enjoy the experience of sharing love for humanity and working together to create a favorable environment for sustainable development and peaceful co-existence.

Recruitment of Taekwondo instructors and interpreters for the TPC was performed on a voluntary basis. Likewise, participants who attended the TPC program did so on a voluntary basis. Therefore, spontaneity has been founded on all processes.

Upon announcing the TPC recruitment on WT and GCS International Web sites, more than 60 volunteers applied for the TPC 2008

The training focused on what and how to teach, how to approach culture learners, how to make the experience enjoyable, and how to behave as peace facilitators. Volunteers’ accountability guidelines and visitors’ responsibility codes were strictly adhered to all the time to ensure appropriate conduct and behavior of the TPC members. The spirits of Taekwondo and sport ethics were taught prior to the physical skill learning program. An emphasis on the philosophical dimension was reinforced through a mental training practice, which was designed to familiarize the participants with the concepts of peace, harmony, fair play, and respecting the rules and regulations. The spirit of independence is based on self-values. The values of independence and collaboration were highlighted simultaneously throughout Taekwondo competitions and cooperative trainings. Taekwondo contains diverse educational “self” values such as self-control, self-confidence, self-defense, team-based problem-solving and so forth.

The spirit underlying Taekwondo is not to be aggressive but defensive. The concept of self-defense was accentuated at the beginning of the TPC programs. The TPC programs were specifically designed to foster self-confidence in participants through enhancement of their ability to defend themselves.

The TPC training programs target on nurturing leadership as an instructor, master, referee, and colleague. The latest Taekwondo curriculum and instruction methods were introduced through the TPC training programs to develop members’ teaching ability, which highlighted service-oriented leadership rather than charismatic leadership. The members were expected to respond to the local instructors’ objectives and participants’ needs, and not to behave as a superior officer or a commander. This effectively facilitated volunteers’ quicker adaptation to local customs and better susceptibility to cultural relativism, gender equality and racial indiscrimination. Learning Taekwondo is to cultivate the spirit of challenge. Nurturing the spirit of challenge is to empower and enable the participants to go beyond their limits and envision the future. With regard to followership, the importance of showing respect to their teachers and judges and obeying rules and referee decisions in competitions was accentuated in the Taekwondo philosophy class. In today’s society, the spirit of fair play is stressed in all areas, stretching to political, economic, social and cultural spheres. Since Chungwon Choue, president of WT and GCS International, is concurrently serving as president of the Korean Fair Play Committee (KFPC), a member of the International Fair Play Committee (IFPC), conceptualization of fair play had a special weight in the TPC programs. Accordingly, this important value was accentuated in every class for both TPC volunteers and participants.

The TPC volunteer training programs included learning of Olympism. It is because Olympism constitutes the fundamental principle of all sports participating in the Olympic Movement and its ideals share with those of the Taekwondo spirit. One of the Olympic ideals is the spirit of fair play, which was stressed repeatedly as the major theme in all classes.

Local Taekwondo instructors and participants were taught about the spirits of Taekwondo, Taekwondo etiquette, and fair play in Taekwondo through various classes and TPC activities, underlining respect for the competition rules and referee decisions as well as for the opponent players.

The concepts of spontaneity and accountability are closely related to democratic values. All the volunteers and participants chose to join the TPC programs according to their own will, but once they joined, they were to be strictly responsible/accountable. Getting accustomed to the values of service-oriented leadership/ followership, fair play, responsibility, accountability, and rule-abiding attitude through the TPC programs implies exercise of democratic practice.

Taekwondo training, therefore, naturally implants democratic values in volunteers and participants alike. The TPC programs may serve as an effective means to educate and spread the democratic values in youth and children of the underdeveloped countries, where establishment and consolidation of a democratic system are still in need.

All local residents were welcomed to the TPC programs regardless of race, gender, age, religion, or disability. Since Taekwondo does not stress the physical dimension alone, but psychological and spiritual dimensions as well, any type of discrimination based on physical appearance was strictly prohibited in administration and management of the TPC programs.

Harmonious collaboration and group effort among the participants were encouraged in all classes, conveying a message that all humans are equal and shall be respected in all circumstances.

Face-to-face communication and open dialogues between local participants and TPC volunteers helped both parties acquire mutual understanding of respective culture and build friendship easily. The

TPC programs also offered a basic Korean language class. For participants, learning Korean, including some verbal orders used in Taekwondo training and competitions, helped develop closer affinity to the sport of Taekwondo. However, language was not the decisive factor in facilitating communication and special bond between volunteers and local people. Sport itself is a universal language.

The TPC opened a new possibility and a window of opportunity for sport-related organizations to contribute to the humanity and peace-building. The TPC teams dispatched in the summer of 2008 were warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated by the five host countries. The impressive turnout at the training and enthusiasm shown by the participants certainly reflected the yearning of the local people for an opportunity to learn and practice Taekwondo.

Above all, the TPC presented an opportunity and resources to children to enjoy and play and to share important values in life as well as a vision of never-ending hope, optimism, and confidence.

The TPC participants equally experienced priceless one month of sharing the spirit of Taekwondo, valuable friendship, and special bond with those who love Taekwondo in distant parts of the world. It was agreed by both volunteers and participants that the first dispatch period was rather short to grasp the Taekwondo culture and spirit in those countries to the full extent.

World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation Launched

The World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation was launched in a ceremony in Seoul, Korea on Sept. 17, 2009 to further activate the WT Taekwondo Peace Corps.

The ceremony, which took place at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Seoul, drew about 700 people, including 48 members of the 2009 Summer WT Taekwondo Peace Corps.

Among the dignitaries were Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myunghwan; and Kim Dae-ki, 2nd vice minister of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry, who read Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s congratulatory speech for the participants.

“Through Taekwondo, the world has come to understand Korea and it has greatly contributed to the formation of a global network. The Korean government has designated Taekwondo as one of Korea’s 10 culture brands this year,” said President Lee. “I hope the just-launched World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation to make great efforts for global service.”

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu said in his congratulatory remarks that “With the creation of the foundation, the quality of the Taekwondo Peace Corps will be further upgraded.”

Grand National Party lawmaker Park Jin, who also served as chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee, said in his congratulatory speech that “On behalf of the National Assembly, I am here and the National Assembly fully supports the foundation.”

Also attending the ceremony were Gen. Ahmed Fouly, president of the African Taekwondo Union and vice president of WT; and Choi Ji-ho, president of the Pan American Taekwondo Union and WT Council member; and Lee Dai-soon, president of the Asian Taekwondo Union and vice president of WT.

The foundation, a non-profit organization, received a formal recognition from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. WT President Chungwon Choue served as chairman of the foundation, which took over all the matters related to the WT Taekwondo Peace Corps. Lee Hyu-won, president and CEO of Shinhan Investment Corp. assumed the presidency of the foundation.

Status of Dispatched Volunteers and Equipment Support by World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation

1. Dispatch Status of Volunteers

Year Category Country Number of Persons Dispatched Countries

2008

Summer 5 27 India, China, Pakistan, Russia, Paraguay

Winter 8 32 Uzbekistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Egypt, Greece, Russia, Bolivia

Summer 12 48 Mongolia, Bhutan, India, Philippines, Nigeria, Angola, Samoa, Isle of Man, Azerbaijan, Poland, Mexico, El Salvador

2009

Winter 24 98

Summer 20 110

Winter 25 107

Timor-Leste, Laos, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Iran, Cambodia, Philippines, Angola, Egypt, Congo, New Zealand, Samoa, Greece, Russia, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, Suriname, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico

Laos, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Ghana, South Africa, Madagascar, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Vanuatu, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Belarus, Sweden, Finland, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago

Nepal, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Cambodia, Libya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Congo, Tunisia, Tonga, Fiji, Greece, Russia, Belarus, Sweden, Croatia, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica

2010

Mid- to Long-Term 7 16 Kazakhstan, Thailand, Philippines, Morocco, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Bulgaria

Youth 2 40 Cambodia, Thailand

Cultural

Performance Team 2 40 Morocco, Zimbabwe

Summer 19 106

Winter 22 102

2011

Nepal, Laos, Macau, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Thailand, DR Congo, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Senegal, Ethiopia, Congo, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Barbados

Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Thailand, South Africa, Niger, Rwanda, Morocco, Algeria, Comoros, Congo, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Greece, Russia, Sweden, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Suriname, Puerto Rico

Mid- to Long-Term 6 11 Timor-Leste, Philippines, South Africa, Greece, Bolivia, Brazil

Youth 1 30 Vietnam

Cultural Performance Team 3 24 Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador

Summer 17 80

Nepal, Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Ghana, Mozambique, Benin, Seychelles, Uganda, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Bulgaria, Portugal, Mexico, El Salvador

Winter 27 124 Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Thailand, DR Congo, South Africa, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Greece, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia

2012

Mid- to Long-Term 7 11 Timor-Leste, Kazakhstan, Thailand, South Africa, Botswana, Russia, Honduras

Cultural Performance Team 3 29

South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini

Year Category Country Number of Persons Dispatched Countries

Summer 21 97

Winter 26 122

2013

Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, China, Cambodia, South Sudan, South Africa, Mauritius, Senegal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Russia, Turkiye, Poland, Brazil, Paraguay

Nepal, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Singapore, India, China, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Gabon, South Africa, Lesotho, Senegal, Sudan, Zambia, Cameroon, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Sweden, Poland, Nicaragua, Venezuela

Mid-Term 7 9 Kazakhstan, Botswana, Fiji, Russia, Mexico, Honduras, Colombia

Cultural

Performance Team 3 36 Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore

Summer 26 107

2014

Winter 18 83

Nepal, Laos, Sri Lanka, India, China, Cambodia, Tajikistan, Hong Kong, Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Latvia, Sweden, Georgia, Poland, Suriname, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay

Nepal, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Seychelles, New Zealand, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, Bolivia, Paraguay

Year Category Country Number of Persons Dispatched Countries

Summer 10 40 Laos, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Ghana, Rwanda, Seychelles, Algeria, Fiji, Poland, Mexico

2018

Winter 22 100

Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Ghana, Gabon, Rwanda, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Zambia, Kenya, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Russia, Sweden, Poland

Team 3 60 Vietnam, Cambodia, United States 2019

Summer 7 39 Laos, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Fiji, Poland, Mexico

Winter 22 94

Nepal, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Ghana, Gabon, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Kiribati, Fiji, Latvia, Russia, Ireland, Poland, Mexico

Team 3 60 Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Ireland

Mid- to Long-Term 5 6 Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Fiji, Cayman Islands

Total 555 2,529 A total of 123 countries (excluding duplicated countries)

Summer 16 79

Winter 32 121

Laos, China, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Rwanda, Madagascar, Seychelles, Eswatini, Zambia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Latvia, Sweden, Poland, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago

Mid-Term 9 11 Singapore, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Bolivia, Honduras 2015

Timor-Leste, Laos, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Hong Kong, Gabon, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sudan, Algeria, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Denmark, Russia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Estonia, Poland (2 teams), Guadeloupe, Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Paraguay

Team 3 26 Laos, Sudan, Colombia

Mid-Term 9 10 Nepal, India, China, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Botswana, Mexico, Canada, Paraguay

Summer 19 58

Winter 19 66

2016

Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ghana, Seychelles, Comoros, Fiji, Latvia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Mexico, Paraguay

Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Gabon, Morocco, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Russia, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, United States, Mexico

Team 3 45 Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Mexico

Mid-Term 14 19

Summer 16 71

Winter 16 69

2017

Myanmar, Bhutan, India, China, Kyrgyzstan, DR Congo, South Africa, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Switzerland, Mexico, Uruguay, Cayman Islands

Nepal, Laos, Japan, Jordan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Gambia, Seychelles, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Argentina

Nepal, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Gabon, Seychelles, Algeria, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Russia, Bulgaria, Poland

Team 3 53 Laos, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan

Mid-Term 13 13

China, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Fiji, Ireland, Poland, Mexico, Haiti, Uruguay, Cayman Islands

2. Status of Overseas Taekwondo Equipment Support

5 Counties

2020

Jordan, Turkiye, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia

2021 6 Countries

Madagascar, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Cambodia

2022

Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Timor-Leste, Lebanon, Honduras

Total

17 Countries

A total of 14 countries (excluding duplicated countries)