Taekwondo’s status as an Olympic status is brighter as it has secured a place in the 2016 Olympic program, says WTF President Chungwon Choue.

“As taekwondo has secured its place in the 2016 Olympic Games as one of the 26 core sports, these positive changes promise a brighter future of taekwondo as an Olympic sport,” said WTF President Choue.

He made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the 5th Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships at the Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon, west of Seoul, Korea on Aug. 18, 2009. The WTF-sanctioned Korea Open drew more than 1,200 athletes and officials from more than 50 countries.

Dr. Choue’s remarks came days after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board proposed the list of 26 core sports, including taekwondo, and two additional sports, rugby and golf, in the 2016 Olympic program on Aug. 13, 2009.

The IOC EB’s latest decision completely brushed aside ungrounded rumors and speculations about taekwondo’s future.

On Aug. 14, WTF President Choue sent a letter to 189 WTF member national associations, in which he said that “With the news, I assure you that taekwondo as one of the 26 core sports is officially on the Olympic program for both London 2012 and the 2016 Games, putting an end to the controversy on this issue.”

“I wish to dedicate this moment of triumph to all our taekwondo family who devoted their time and effort for the promotion of the sport of taekwodno and development of taekwondo as an Olympic sport. I will commit myself to further enhancement of taekwondo in each member national association on this meaningful occasion,” he said. “As the President of the WTF, I thank you for working with us for the cause of taekwondo, which, I believe, are being rewarded with great pride and joy. I express my heartfelt appreciation to you for your ceaseless support and cooperation. Let us enjoy the victory we have achieved together.”

Dr. Choue said in his congratulatory speech, “We should not forget that there were efforts of many striving to make the sport of taekwondo fairer and more exciting, therefore, bringing it closer to the Olympic ideals.”

He said, “From a martial art, taekwondo has successfully transformed itself into a global sport that enjoys the Olympic status.” “We cannot take this for granted. Our ceaseless efforts for the betterment of taekwondo and the unwavering support of the the taekwondo family from 189 member nations together brought such a remarkable change in the sport of taekwondo.”

At the 2009 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 11-14, 2009, we saw a more dynamic and fairer taekwondo competition with the introduction of an instant video replay system and a new scoring system that grants up to three points per kick to the head, under the revised WTF Competition Rules, as well as the use of electronic body protectors.

The just-ended Korea Open was a great success in that the taekwondo competitions were action-packed and fairer than ever before.

“The WTF is bringing taekwondo beyond a mere sport as a means of youth education and world peae in line with the pursuit of the IOC,” WTF President Choue said.

“The WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps reached 13 countries in the year 2008 alone. Currently, a total of 48 members of the Taekwondo Peace Corps are doing their voluntary taekwondo training service in 12 countries,” he said. “Also the inaugural World Youth Taekwondo Camp in Seoul and Muju, Korea on Aug. 6-11, 2009 was a great success, as it drew about 260 athletes and officials from 33 countries, featuring the Friendship Koyugi Competition, which served as a rehearsal for the taekwondo competition of the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games.”

In a recent interview with the JoonAng Daily, an English daily newspaper in Korea, Dr. Choue said, “I am happy about the (IOC Executive Board) news. As long as taekwondo is an Olympic sport, we need to show proper progress as an international federation.”

“In many countries, taekwondo is the most popular sport after football,” Dr. Choue said. “I am happy to see the sport is catching on and developing in many areas.”

The WTF has a global membership of 189 countries, ranking among the top 10 of International Sports Federations. The WTF membership is expected to exceed the 190-mark by the upcoming WTF General Assembly in October 2009.

The JoonAng Daily said that “Choue has initiated several reforms in order to make taekwondo an exciting and global sport with a long-term view of making the sport an official Olympic event in the future.”

The daily cited as major changes an expanded WTF office in Lausanne, Switzerland, which will handle all international relations, sports marketing and doping-related work, the launch of the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in 2006, the creation of the WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in 2009, the launch of the WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps, and the introduction of a WTF world athlete ranking system.

In his congratulatory speech on May 5, 2009 on the occasion of the opening of the expanded WTF Office in Lausanne, IOC President Jacques Rogge spoke well of taekwondo and the WTF by saying, “I would like to thank the WTF for its exemplary collaboration with the IOC. If I make a comparison between Sydney 2000 and now, there is a huge change.” “You have changed from a rather conservative sport into a very modern, dynamic sport.”