Jesolo, Italy — During the recent North Korean ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships held in Jesolo, Italy, North Korean ITF Group President Ri Yong Sun announced during their General Assembly that Madame Choi, the widow of General Choi Hong Hi, Founder of Taekwon-Do, had sent greetings and a congratulatory message to their event.
Ri further claimed that he “frequently communicates and talks with her.”
The North Korean ITF group, led by Ri Yong Sun, represents one of several Taekwon-Do bodies that claim direct succession from General Choi Hong Hi’s original International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF).
However, legitimacy in Taekwon-Do is not determined by geography or politics, but by authentic lineage, continuity, and adherence to the Founder’s principles.
To confirm the accuracy of Ri’s statements, MASTKD personally communicated with Madame Choi by phone. Her response was clear, firm, and unequivocal:
“I am not even aware of such a competition, and I have had no contact whatsoever with Ri Yong Sun or any members of the North Korean ITF group for a very long time.”
Expressing her shock and disappointment, Madame Choi added:
“I am absolutely appalled by their audacity to change the name of the Tong-il pattern on their own. Such an act completely contradicts my late husband’s lifelong dream of Korea’s unification and represents an impudent misuse of Taekwon-Do for political purposes.”
As the widow of the Founder and the sole living custodian of his personal legacy, Madame Choi’...
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