Taekwondo is now an educational tool.

Taekwondo is an effective educational tool for young people around the world and now is the time for taekwondo to serve the world, says president of the world’s taekwondo governing body.

As part of efforts to promote global peace, the president says that he hopes the WTF-initiated Taekwondo Peace Corps program to be expanded into a new entity of the so-called Sport Peace Corps, in cooperation with the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.

“As proven by numerous studies, taekwondo training has significant educational effects on children in the stage of personality forming and emotional vulnerability,” said Chungwon Choue, president of the World Taekwondo Federation. “It teaches youth about justice, morality, respect, cooperation, lover for one another, and to accept the universal sport rules of fair play.”

Under the topic “The Value of Korean Traditional Sport in Youth Education,” WTF President Choue made the remarks in the Plenary G session of the 6th World Forum on Sport, Education and Culture at the BEXCO in Busan, Korea on Sept. 27, 2008. Dr. Choue’s 20-minute presentation drew keen interest from the participants in the IOC forum.

The three-day, IOC-promoted forum, which opened on Sept. 25 in a ceremony, drew more than 800 world sports leaders, including about 30 IOC members. The biennial event is organized by the metropolitan city of Busan.

WTF President Choue said, “Through such learning, and mental and physical disciplining, it helps sound personal development and self-enhancement of the young.” “This, in effect, could curtail them from getting involved in youth delinquency, drugs, alcohol and violence.”

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