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

Among the dignitaries were Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung-hwan; and Mr. 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 serves 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 the WTF; and Mr. Ji-ho Choi, president of the Pan American Taekwondo Union and WTF Council member; and Mr. Dai-soon Lee, president of the Asian Taekwondo Union and vice president of the WTF.

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

“The foundation will launch a global taekwondo culture movement by establishing local chapters at the WTF’s 189 member nations and five continental unions and networking them,” said Mr. Lee in his inaugural speech.

At the ceremony, the 2009 Summer WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps was disbanded.

To take taekwondo beyond a mere sport, the WTF launched the Taekwondo Peace Corps in the summer of 2008, and has since dispatched 107 Taekwondo Peace Corps members to 25 countries on three occasions.

In the summer of 2009, a total of 48 members of the WTF Taekwondo Peace Corps were dispatched to 12 countries for their voluntary service. The 12 countries were El Salvador, India, Isle of Man, Samoa, Bhutan, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Poland, Angola, the Philippines and Azerbaijan.

“The foundation will greatly contribute to the promotion of world peace by giving the youth worldwide dreams and hope,” said WTF President Choue in his speech to mark the launch of the foundation.