"By the end of the Korean War, nine more martial arts schools (known as kwan) had opened, and South Korean President Syngman Rhee ordered that the various schools should unify under a common name. A governmental body, selected a naming committee's submission of "taekwon-do," submitted by Gen. Choi Hong Hi, the founder of the Oh Do Kwan, for the new unified from, and the [Korean Taekwondo Association] (KTA) formed in 1959 to facilitate the unification. Shortly after, taekwondo made its debut in North America, where Jhoon Rhee was teaching the art in Texas, but calling it karate (the name taekwondo was unknown in the West at the time). However, the unification effort in Korea stalled, as the kwan continued to teach different styles. Another request from the Korean government for unification resulted in the formation of the Korea Tae Soo Do Association, which changed its name back to the Korean Taekwondo Association in 1965 following a change of leadership. This new leader, General Choi Hong Hi, fell out of favor in South Korea following a goodwill trip to North Korea, and so Choi separated from the KTA and founded a new, private organization, the International Taekwondo Federation, in 1966."
"In 1972, the Korea Taekwondo Association Central Dojang was opened. A few months later, the name was changed to the Kukkiwon, which means "National Technique Center." The [Kukkiwon] remains the World Taekwondo Headquarters to this day. The following year, the [World Taekwondo Federation] was formed. The International Olympic Committee recognized the WTF and taekwondo sparring in 1980, and the sport was accepted as a demonstration event at the 1988 Seoul and the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games. It became an official medal event as of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Taekwondo is one of two Asian martial arts (judo being the other) in the Olympic Games."
"The public WTF and private ITF, the two largest taekwondo organizations, operate and train in hundreds of nations and teach the martial art to millions of people each year."
"In 1972, the Korea Taekwondo Association Central Dojang was opened. A few months later, the name was changed to the Kukkiwon, which means "National Technique Center." The [Kukkiwon] remains the World Taekwondo Headquarters to this day. The following year, the [World Taekwondo Federation] was formed. The International Olympic Committee recognized the WTF and taekwondo sparring in 1980, and the sport was accepted as a demonstration event at the 1988 Seoul and the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games. It became an official medal event as of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Taekwondo is one of two Asian martial arts (judo being the other) in the Olympic Games."
"The public WTF and private ITF, the two largest taekwondo organizations, operate and train in hundreds of nations and teach the martial art to millions of people each year."
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