Kukkiwon

Kukkiwon (Korean: 국기원; Hanja: 國技院; lit. 'National Sport Headquarters'), also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters, is the central institution and the highest technical authority of Taekwondo. The institution is responsible for the regulation, development, and promotion of Taekwondo at both the national and international levels. Kukkiwon is also the headquarters of the World Taekwondo Academy (WTA) and the Taekwondo Research Institute. Among the Kukkiwon’s main functions are the training and certification of instructors, as well as the management and recognition of Dan ranks. Kukkiwon works in cooperation with World Taekwondo (WT), to promote Taekwondo sparring competitions at the international and Olympic levels. Since 2010, the Kukkiwon has been officially recognized as a sports organization and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST). Kukkiwon is located at 32 Teheran-ro 7-gil, in the Yeoksam neighborhood of the Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. The building was initially used as the Korea Taekwondo Association’s (KTA) central training hall and was therefore known as the KTA Central Studio. Both the building and the organization were officially renamed “Kukkiwon” on February 6, 1973. In May 1973, the KTA and the Kukkiwon hosted the first World Taekwondo Championships, which were attended by 200 athletes from 17 countries. Since 1974, the Kukkiwon has maintained a permanent Taekwondo demonstration team. Since 1992, it has organized the annual World Taekwondo Hanmadang.