Curriculum Vitae of GENERAL CHOI 

Education

Fort Bliss, Texas U.S. Army Modern Weapons Course

Fort Benning, Georgia U.S. Army Advanced Infantry School – Military Strategies/Intelligence

Fort Riley, Kansas U.S. Army General Ground School – Military Intelligence

First Class Graduate of the Republic of Korea’s Military Academy

Chou University Law School

Honorary Doctorate Degrees Earned: Physical Education – Russia 1992, Sports Science – Korea 1999, Philosophy – Moldova 2001

Experience

Publications/Presentations

Teaching Experience

Statement

General Choi Hong-Hi named Taekwon-Do in 1955. He went onto obtain official Presidential authorization from the first ROK President Dr. Seung-man Rhee when Dr. Rhee wrote the new name Taekwon-Do that General Choi conceived in Chinese Calligraphy symbolizing official approval that the Taekwon-Do name was accepted. Ambassador Choi went onto teach Taekwon-Do without regard to race, religion, creed, ideology, gender, politics or national boundaries. As Korea’s first Ambassador to Malaysia he personally introduced Taekwon-Do there in 1962. His efforts led to Taekwon-Do being taught in Vietnam from 1962, and forming Taekwon-Do Associations in Malaysia (1963), Singapore (1964) and Vietnam (1965) before most of the civilian martial artists back home in Korea were even using the name Taekwon-Do.

While he was at times an outspoken critic of military generals during their sometimes less then democratic rule of Korea, he never was against Korea, his beloved Homeland or the Korean people. Sadly some political efforts have tried to paint General Choi as being against certain segments or groups of Korean people. Nothing can be further from the truth, as General Choi was a staunch Korean National who loved his homeland and worked throughout his lifetime to see Korea reunited and under democratic rule by Koreans. History will indeed judge General Choi as a true Korean Patriot of the 20^th Century. Perhaps no Korean name is known better worldwide whose efforts have done more to educate non-Koreans about Korea, its people, culture, customs and history than this man who gave the planet Taekwon-Do, in hopes of “building a more peaceful world.”

General Choi’s efforts took Taekwon-Do to places like Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and China during the “Cold War” era. This groundbreaking work has led to some of these Nations being powerhouses in Taekwon-Do today. While that work may have been controversial for some during that time period, it also not only preceded efforts there by the WTF, but it actually opened the door and paved the way for the WTF eventual expansion there as well. His written publications have been translated into at least 8 languages; Korean, Chinese English, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Dari (Farsi or Afghan Persian).

All Koreans owe a debt of gratitude to Ambassador Choi for spreading Taekwon-Do globally, which also put Korea on the map as well as give Korea a warm face to the world! All Taekwon-Do students owe a debt as well to General Choi, as for without him; there would not be a Korean Martial Art or Olympic Sport today called Taekwon-Do.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.