The Korea Taekwondo Association (한국 태권도 협회; 韓國 跆拳道 協會; KTA; sometimes called the Korean Taekwondo Association) was founded originally in 1959. Historically its function was to unify the nine martial arts styles then practiced in Korea by the Nine Kwans. The style-defining functions originally served by the KTA are now performed instead by the Kukkiwon.
In contemporary times, as an affiliate of the Korean Sports Council, the KTA's function now is to promote taekwondo as a national sport within South Korea:
- Serve as the National Govering Body (NGB) for South Korea for the World Taekwondo Federation.
- Serve the Korean Sports Council (which is merged with the Korean Olympic Committee) by fielding inquiries regarding taekwondo competitions.
- Sponsor domestic (in South Korea) taekwondo competitions.
- Promote participation in international taekwondo competitions.
- Develop training materials and improve training for taekwondo practitioners.
- Educate the general population of South Korea on topics relating to taekwondo.
- Publish taekwondo periodicals and educational materials.
- Promote cultural exchanges between taekwondo associations and schools.
Timeline
- 1961 (1959?) - KTA founded with General Choi Hong Hi as first president.
- 1962 - General Choi appointed South Korean ambassador to Malaysia; Choi Myung Shin appointed second president of the KTA.
- 196x - KTA renamed Korea Tae Soo Do Association
- 1965 - KTA renamed again, back to Korea Taekwondo Association
- 1965 - KTA sponsors the twelve Original Masters to begin their worldwide tour promoting taekwondo
- 1965 - General Choi again appointed, now as third president of KTA
- 1966 - International Taekwon-Do Federation founded, with General Choi as president
- 1966 - Byung Jick Ro appointed fourth president of KTA
- 1967 - Yong Chae Kim appointed fifth president of KTA
- 1967 - KTA defines new taekwondo forms: (Old) Koryo, Keumgang, Taebaek, Pyongwon, Shipjin, Jitae, Cheongwon, Hansoo, and Ilyeo.
- 1971, January - Un Yong Kim becomes sixth president of KTA
- 1972 - Kukkiwon established
- 1973, May - World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) established
- TBD
- 2002, March - Cheon Seo Koo appointed president of KTA
- 2008 - Jung Gil Kim appointed president of the KTA
- 2008 - Joon Pyo Hong appointed president of the KTA
References
- http://www.koreataekwondo.org/KTA_ENG/html/kta/kta_01.asp
- Korean Taekwondo Association on Wikipedia
- Korean Taekwondo Association on the Korean version of Wikipedia http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/대한태권도협회 (use Chrome browser or Google Translate to read in English)