Kukkiwon Promotion Rules changes

[TrueJim]

I notice today that the World Taekwondo Masters Union (WTMU) changed the name of their Facebook page from Kukkiwon America back to WTMU.

That inspired me to go check on the Kukkiwon America website -- WTMU has let that domain-name expire. So I guess now they're just WTMU (not Kukkiwon America) -- even though they still "deliver Kukkiwon services to the U.S." (according to the WTMU website).

 

[andyjeffries]

I think (unofficially) that the Kukkiwon is having internal debates about the overseas branches and poom/dan examiner courses. When I was in Korea in March, a senior Kukkiwon official had told me that the poom/dan examiner courses had been dropped and then one was held at the UK course just after. I can't imagine WTMU has accidentally let it expire, so maybe they know something about the overseas branches programme being dropped?

 

[WaterGal]

Mr. WaterGal went to the Foreign Instructor Course offered in Denver last month, and that was put on by USTC rather than WTMU.

The website for that event included the following, which I found, um, surprisingly undiplomatic and stuck in my memory:

Kukkiwon America is NOT an official branch of the Kukkiwon and Kukkiwon America does not officially exist. The group “World Taekwondo Masters Union (WTMU)” is using the name “Kukkiwon America” without the authorization of Kukkiwon to mislead people. No organization or group can use the name “Kukkiwon America” without direct approval from the Kukkiwon. They have been notified by the Kukkiwon to cease using the name “Kukkiwon America.”

The WTMU is an independent organization that has held events with the Kukkiwon under a “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).” This MOU is no longer valid. In 2016 while the MOU was still valid, the Kukkiwon approved a Master License Course to be held in California in June 2017.

(Source: FAQs)

 

[TrueJim]

Kukkiwon America is NOT an official branch of the Kukkiwon and Kukkiwon America does not officially exist..

Oh sure, they say that NOW. But seriously, it's hard to entirely square that claim with what Kukkiwon published in 2015: The New KUKKIWON Project.pdf

"Policy Project Ⅰ - Establish the Kukkiwon Branch or Division

• Purpose : In order to vitalize the Kukkiwon Business through building the overseas organization based

• Direction: Promote to install the Kukkiwon branch or Division depending on national circumstances.

"1) Kukkiwon Branch - The Kukkiwon plan to set up one branch for each nation. The Kukkiwon can directly establish the overseas corporation or approve a MNA or local subsidiary as the Kukkiwon branch.

"2) Kukkiwon Division - The Kukkiwon plan to install the Kukkiwon Division, as a pre-stage for establishing the Kukkiwon Branch, to carry out the Kukkiwon target business, including Kukkiwon Poom·Dan Promotion Test through an agreement with the national association or Taekwondo organization."

 

[WaterGal]

I don't think those statements are necessarily contradictory. I guess it depends on whether Kukkiwon actually officially made an agreement to have WTMU be their US branch organization.

 

[TrueJim]

This is from the WTMU website:

"Kukkiwon America WTMU is the official holder of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kukkiwon in the United States, and is granted permission to conduct all the programs and services listed on this website."

WTMU, World Taekwondo Masters Union