CHUNCHEON, Korea (Oct 1, 2024) - The first Olympism and Peace Forum was held in Chuncheon, Korea on the sidelines of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships, providing an educational opportunity for the next generation of sport management leaders.
It was held at the Kangwon National University, promoted and organised by World Taekwondo to celebrate the 30thanniversary of Taekwondo becoming an Olympic sport at the Centennial Olympic Congress in Paris in 1994. The event was organised in partnership with the Chuncheon 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships Organising Committee and the Kangwon National University Olympic Studies Centre.
Guests included university students of sport management from institutions in Chuncheon and Seoul, and they were welcomed by the Mayor of Chuncheon Donghan Yook and President of Kangwon National University Dr. JaeyeonJeong.
The Olympism and Peace Forum was attended by World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, IOC Member Ser Miang Ng, World Taekwondo Council members and officials from international and domestic sports organisations, who shared their insights and experiences.
World Taekwondo President Choue highlighted the recognition received by the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation for promoting the ideals of the Olympic Movement and using the power of sport for the greater good. He thanked all in attendance who made the first Olympism and Peace Forum a huge success.
“When I became the President of World Taekwondo, I thought to myself that sport could truly be a medium of peace. Through Taekwondo, we promote human values of inclusiveness, respect, tolerance, courtesy and integrity,” President Choue said.
“Thank you to Kangwon National University and our esteemed moderators and panellists, and I hope we can all be inspired by this Forum in our own way.”
Panel discussions were held with speakers from a variety of sporting and academic backgrounds, and there were opportunities for interaction with the audience through question-and-answer sessions.
World Taekwondo Athletes’ Committee Co-Chair and Rio 2016 Olympic champion Cheick Sallah Cissé was among the panellists for the first session on ‘What is Olympism to Me?’, joined by IOC Culture and Heritage Commission member Justin Hou and political scientist Professor Luc Reychler.
The session on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Peace through sport featured contributions from World Taekwondo Secretary General Jeongkang Seo, Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières Korea Dr. Emma Campbell and Global Esports Federation Chief Development Officer Mark Chay.
The Forum concluded with a panel on sustainability and legacy, which had as its speakers World Taekwondo’s Taekwondo for All Committee Dr. Hadwah Moawad, Kenya Taekwondo Federation President Major Suleiman Kanyanya Sumba and the Head of Education and Youth Engagement at the Pyeongchang 2018 Legacy Foundation Arram Kim.
It was held alongside the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, where competition began today and runs until October 6.
