13 Facts About Choi Jung-hwa

Choi Jung-hwa was born on 20 May 1954 and is the only son of General Choi Hong-hi, who is regarded as the founder of Taekwondo.

Choi Jung-hwa studied Taekwon-Do since the age of 7 under his father and many prominent high ranking Taekwon-Do Masters during their visits and stays with General Choi.

Choi Jung-hwa's claimed earliest recollections of training are around the time General Choi was appointed as Korea's Ambassador to Malaysia.

Choi Jung-hwa grew up in an environment surrounded by Taekwon-Do due to General Choi's schedule and work in spreading Taekwon-Do globally.

Choi Jung-hwa trained with many high-ranking instructors during this period.

Choi Jung-hwa held the post of Secretary General and Vice Secretary of the ITF for several years until elected as Choi Jung-hwa Hong-hi's successor to the Presidency by the ITF members in 2001.

Choi Jung-hwa allegedly offered that General Choi should remain ITF President for the first 2 years of that term as to give him the opportunity to "retire with dignity" in 2003.

Choi Jung-hwa was promoted to 9th Degree Black Belt in 2005 and to the rank of Grandmaster.

Choi Jung-hwa prefers the title of President or Master to Grandmaster.

Choi Jung-hwa has been a regular visitor to Australia since the mid-1990s.

In 1983 Choi Jung-hwa was convicted in Canada on charges that he conspired to assassinate the President of South Korea Chun Doo-Hwan.

Choi Jung-hwa was sentenced in Canada, and was barred from South Korea.

Choi Jung-hwa was convicted in absentia, and travelled as a Taekwon-Do instructor in the then Eastern Bloc nations; mainly Yugoslavia and in the DPRK as well.