"Policies must be established to revive Taekwondo studios, and the spirit of Taekwondo must be restored."
Yonggyu An, former President of Korea National Sport University and a 9th Dan black belt who once served as the head coach of the national Taekwondo team, emphasized the revival of the Taekwondo spirit. In a recent interview with Asia Economy, An stressed that the role and status of Taekwondo are being challenged in South Korea, the birthplace of Taekwondo, and highlighted the need for efforts toward change and reform.
Today, Taekwondo has become a global sport and martial art practiced in over 210 countries. No matter where you go in the world, you can find a Taekwondo studio and meet practitioners who pursue health, safety, and personal development through Taekwondo. However, in South Korea, where Taekwondo is the national sport, its status is wavering. As public interest declines, the number of Taekwondo studios continues to decrease.
An pointed out, "Every year, between 165 and 322 Taekwondo studios close down," adding, "while there were about 10,070 studios in 2018, the number dropped below 10,000 by 2023." He noted that there are various reasons for this, but insisted on the need to find fundamental solutions. "Although low birth rates, COVID-19, and rising rent and labor costs have made operations difficult, the bigger issues are the 'collapse of spirit,' 'disappearance of philosophy,' and 'weakening of identity,'" he argued. The tragic incident in July last year, where a five-year-old child died due to abuse by an instructor at a Taekwondo studio in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, was, according to An, a disaster caused by a lack of philosophy.
An also pointed out that the spirit of Taekwondo has collapsed amid commercialism and laissez-faire attitudes. He said, "Taekwondo has always taught 'defense over offense' and 'courtesy over strength.' The studio is a child's first society, and the instructor becomes their first mentor in life. In many Taekwondo studios, leaders have become business owners rather than teachers. The spirit of Taekwondo-training the body and refining character-has long been pushed aside in favor of profit," he criticized.
Ahn Yonggyu, former president of Korea National Sport University, is teaching Taekwondo to children.
An stressed that, above all, the role of Kukkiwon is crucial. He criticized, "Kukkiwon claims to be the World Taekwondo Headquarters, but it ignores the domestic reality," and called for innovation and change at Kukkiwon.
As specific measures, he proposed: introducing a renewal system for instructor qualifications and establishing an ethics code; implementing a studio certification system and unifying administrative authorities; strengthening the public interest role and expanding community-based support policies instead of focusing on revenue-driven promotion tests; and developing curricula that embody educational philosophy to spread value-centered Taekwondo education.
An especially emphasized the need to revitalize Taekwondo studios. He said, "If Taekwondo studios collapse, there is no future for Taekwondo. Protecting Taekwondo studios means safeguarding the philosophy, honor, and cultural heritage of Taekwondo and South Korea," urging Kukkiwon to take a more active role.
An criticized, "Kukkiwon has failed to establish even the most basic systems, such as setting ethical standards for instructors, introducing a certification system to enhance the credibility of studio operations, and creating a qualification training system for instructors. Instead, it remains focused solely on administrative tasks related to issuing promotion certificates. This approach is no different from neglecting Taekwondo studios." He added, "Kukkiwon must no longer remain just a certificate-issuing institution. Taekwondo will only survive if Taekwondo studios survive. Now is the time to establish policies and systems to revive Taekwondo studios and prepare for the future."
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