Choue Chung-won re-elected as president of World Taekwondo 작성일 10-26 41 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/10/26/0000078852_001_20251026150709845.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won, right, has been re-elected unopposed on Oct. 23 at the WT General Assembly in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. [WORLD TAEKWONDO] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won has secured another term at the helm of the sport’s governing body, pledging to continue modernizing taekwondo and strengthening its Olympic standing. <br> <br> Choue, 77, was re-elected unopposed on Oct. 23 at the WT General Assembly in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The election, held both in person and online, drew 149 votes from member associations. Choue received 143 votes in favor, a near-unanimous endorsement for his leadership. <br><br>Having first assumed the presidency in 2004 after the late Kim Un-yong stepped down, Choue has now led the federation for 21 years. His new four-year term, his sixth consecutive re-election and seventh overall as president, extends his tenure through 2029. <br> <br> After the vote, Choue said his re-election reflected confidence in his role guiding the sport from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). <br> <br> “I believe the members supported me because they want me to continue strengthening taekwondo’s position in the IOC,” he said. “I will dedicate these final four years to serving the sport. I will not stop changing.” <br> <br> Choue emphasized that taekwondo’s survival depends on evolution. <br> <br> “By the end of this term, I’ll have served 25 years,” he said. “Although there are no term limits, I personally introduced a rule at the 2021 WT General Assembly preventing candidates over 80 from running. I have no regrets about that decision.” <br> <br> Quoting former IOC President Thomas Bach, Choue added, “If we don’t change, we will be changed. Taekwondo — especially as a sport rather than a martial art — must keep evolving.” <br> <br> Choue outlined several reforms expected before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “Many aspects of Olympic taekwondo will change — from uniforms and rules to match formats,” he said. “The 2027 World Taekwondo Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, will mark the start of a new era for the sport.” <br> <br> Since its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games, taekwondo has awarded eight gold medals — four for men and four for women. While para taekwondo has joined the Paralympic program, Choue said the Olympic competition itself needs more weight divisions. <br> <br> “The event lineup for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics will be decided around 2027,” he said. “We must aim to expand to six divisions each for men and women, for a total of 12 gold medals.” <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/10/26/0000078852_002_20251026150709928.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">World Taekwondo (WT) President Choue Chung-won waves to the audience after being re-elected unopposed on Oct. 23 at the WT General Assembly in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. [WORLD TAEKWONDO] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> In a closely watched vote for vice president — the first such election in eight years — Korea Taekwondo Association President Yang Jin-bang finished first with 98 votes, defying expectations. Choue described the outcome as a sign of the members’ desire for further progress. <br> <br> “I take it as a message that our members want more growth and development,” he said. <br> <br> Choue also hinted that the coming four years will bring significant transformation to the sport’s governance and global reach. <br> <br> “When this term ends, taekwondo will look very different,” he said. <br> <br> Choue’s long leadership has coincided with taekwondo’s consolidation as a global Olympic discipline, expanding to 212 member nations. His latest mandate appears to affirm the federation’s confidence that his brand of steady reform — combining tradition with modernization — remains the right course as the sport approaches its 30th year on the Olympic stage. <br><br><i>This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.</i> 관련자료 이전 산체스·사이그너 등 해외 강호, PBA 휴온스 챔피언십 16강 진출....이충복·김영원 등 국내 선수도 합류 10-26 다음 이요원, ‘살림남’ 새 MC 합류... 박서진·지상렬은 핑크빛? 10-26 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
