Looking for written sources on TKD

[KarateMomUSA]

Quote:
Originally Posted by chrispillertkd
Park, along with the three other training officers of the Fifth Class, were arrested in 1948. The other three were executed. Park's sentence was reduced to a life sentence of hard labor. Gen. Choi was on the court martial tribunal. I highly doubt that little detail was lost on Park.

Yeah, and President PARK Chung Hee had out for General Choi so badly that he allowed him to become the KTA President, and later when he was forced out of that position by other people, he allowed General Choi to set up the ITF and then have the Korean government pay for his hand selected instructors to teach overseas.
Here is what GM CHO Hee Il said about it:
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When I left the Army, I made the decision that I wanted to leave Korea. I had no idea where I wanted to go and no means of getting there. At that time it was extremely difficult to gain permission to leave Korea. Exit involved long months, even years, of waiting for visas.
I had one option open to me. I enrolled in the Instructor's Training Center for Taekwon-Do instructions. This center was then headed by General Choi.... The students who graduated first and second from the course received the chance to go overseas and work for the government as a Taekwondo instructor. You can well imagine the fierce competition among students to achieve this freedom.
I was lucky. Well, it wasn't all luck; I worked harder than I had ever worked before and I placed first. My journey with Taekwondo started from that moment. I was sent to India to train special combat forces in the Indian Desert. After a year in India, I had the choice of returning to Korea and the prospect of a somewhat limited future, or to reestablish myself elsewhere in the world.
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If President Park have it out so badly for General Choi, why would he allow him to run this type of program sponsored by the Korean government? Why not have someone else do it?
PS: As for President Park holding General Choi's family hostage in Korea after General Choi left, GM Cho explains why: "At that time it was extremely difficult to gain permission to leave Korea. Exit involved long months, even years, of waiting for visas."

I am sorry but this post demonstrates a somewhat lack of knowledge of what was actually happening in south Korea during dictatorial military regime of Gen Park. It really is necessary to understand more fully how the nasty Korean politics affected TKD's history & the context of the time period its development took place in.
1st some of the minor details, GM Cho Hee Il, I believe graduated from the ITF instructors course in Nov of 1968, not a KTA course. So I thought the ITF was a private organization?
Now you also may be dealing with 2 separate issues, the top 2 may have went on the govt payroll, but it was certainly not limited to just the top 2 in leaving Korea.
Visas as we know are issued by the country that one wishes to visit. Gen Choi had a network in place where people residing in a country would sponsor an instructor to come over. He provided the instructors through his courses. He also provided instructors for the govt to send as well. This appears to be 2 different things.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

Yeah, and President PARK Chung Hee had out for General Choi so badly that he allowed him to become the KTA President, and later when he was forced out of that position by other people, he allowed General Choi to set up the ITF and then have the Korean government pay for his hand selected instructors to teach overseas.

If President Park have it out so badly for General Choi, why would he allow him to run this type of program sponsored by the Korean government? Why not have someone else do it?

PS: As for President Park holding General Choi's family hostage in Korea after General Choi left, GM Cho explains why: "At that time it was extremely difficult to gain permission to leave Korea. Exit involved long months, even years, of waiting for visas."

OK again 1968 was not 1972. 1972 was the height of the brutality of the Park regime. It was when he went over the top with what he was doing to the Korean people. It did not happen all at once.

We really need to know the history of Korea & its political development:
Some experts will tell you that the military coup was welcome in some ways. The ROK was run by a corrupt govt that had over stayed its welcome. Rhee was in office for 12 years. When he rigged the elections massive student demos forced him to eventually step aside. The civilian govt that took over did not last long as Gen Park led the coup about a year later, promoting himself to a 3 star Lt General. (When he finally stepped down from the military, he 1st made himself a 4 star General) One month after the coup they set up the KCIA to help insure the regime held onto power by eliminating or neutralizing any opponents or dissidents. Leaders not loyal to the dictator were purged. Some military generals like Gen Choi were sent abroad as ambassadors. Business men were persecuted & 24 of the leading ones were arrested. Researchers at the US Library of Congress said “the junta under Park Chung Hee quickly consolidated its power, removed those it considered corrupt and unqualified from government and army positions, and laid plans for the future”. “A small number of young officers commanding 3,600 men had succeeded in toppling a government with authority over an army of 600,000”. “The military government promulgated on March 16, 1962, the sweeping Political Activities Purification Law, banning political activities by civilian politicians who were closely associated with the First and Second Republics under President Syngman Rhee and Premier Chang Myn.” Of course we know that Gen Choi at the time was in command of about 100,000 troops. So by the fall of 1962, he was sent to Malaysia as Ambassador.
In 1963 Park changed the constitution & became chair of the powerful Supreme Council for national Reconstruction. He agreed to the limit of 2 presidential terms of office for the presidency.
In 1965 Park signed a pact with Japan that many in south Korea did not like, as anti-Japanese sentiment was still high. Many claimed that he sold them out, as he settled for way less that Rhee demanded. He had to declare martial law to quell the protests. Park also started to send soldiers to Vietnam to fight. The ROK sent over 300,000 troops by the wars end, 2nd only th the USA, which paid the ROK govt the money for the soldiers. The money was not paid directly to the ROK soldiers, so the dictatorship used some of those monies to build their economy.
In 1971 he was due to leave office, but in 1969 he again changed the constitution so he could stay in office for a 3rd term. On Dec 6 , 1971 upon the start of his 3rd term he declared a national emergency. By October of 1972 he suspended the constitution & did away with the parliament. By December, 2 months later he made another new constitution, increasing the term to 6 years, with no limit & was now elected with no opposition & again in 1978. In 1972 he also proclaimed martial law. The reforms he put in place in 1972 were a swing back to authoritarianism. “Many political leaders were arbitrarily arrested, and the security apparatus entered its most draconian period, putting down dissent and becoming infamous for its use of torture”. The US Ambassador (Habib) to Seoul advises his govt to distance them from Park by disassociation & Washington goes along, just 3 days later. “(Kim Dae Jung escaped arrest only because he was out of the country.)” Of course we know that eventually the long international hand of the KCIA tracked him down & was ready to kill him, until the USA stepped in. Mr Kim would eventually become a civilian elected president of the ROK.
Many tolerated his rule in the 1960s, as he was building a successful economy. However by the 1970s, the climate was changing in south Korea, so he clamped down hard. “In December 1971, Park again tightened his control over the country. He proclaimed a national emergency and forced through the National Assembly a bill granting him complete power to control, regulate, and mobilize the people, the economy, the press, and everything else in the public domain. In October 1972, he proclaimed martial law, dissolved the National Assembly, closed all universities and colleges, imposed strict press censorship, and suspended political activities”. (US Library of Congress)
The night he was killed, his KCIA director told him that a crackdown that park wanted would result in 3,000 deaths. Park said I don’t care if 30,000 die, do it. Of course we know what happened, the KCIA director killed him & others at the meeting. Park gets credit for being the father of Korea's economic miracle, but at a great cost. Even the Encyclopedia Britannica said the cost was "civil liberties & political freedom". Try reading accounts like the one by a reporter like Jae Hoon Shim that even worked for foreign media, how he & others were treated & the price they paid for living under Park's harsh rule.

So what we have to do is follow the time line. Gen Choi, supporting the coup (1961), along with other Generals, were waiting for the civilian leadership to take over. Gen Park, consolidates his power & removes all obstacles. Gen Choi forced out of the military & sent to Malaysia (1962), he returns in late 1964, gets elected as KTA 3rd president in Jan 1965, changes name to TKD in Aug 65, leaves to govt sponsored Kukki TKD goodwill tour that fall, social upheaval quelled by martial law in 1965, Mar 66 creates the ITF, Gen Park changes the constitution in 1969 & again in 1971, & in 1972 begins the height of his brutality, Gen Choi, future President Kim Dae Jung exile themselves to safety abroad along with countless others, while countless others who do not flee are persecuted, arrested, tortured & worse.

As Gen Park broke more & more promises, more people complained, as he became more brutal, complaints turned to protests & opposition, which in turn led to more brutality, until he was shot & killed by his own KCIA Director in 1979. But if you think he was bad, his military dictator successor was worse & had no good will built up like Park did with his economic miracle. Gen Chun continued this brutality & more till the late 1980s.

 

[puunui]

I am sorry but this post demonstrates a somewhat lack of knowledge of what was actually happening in south Korea during dictatorial military regime of Gen Park. It really is necessary to understand more fully how the nasty Korean politics affected TKD's history & the context of the time period its development took place in.

I think you missed the point. Again. Your comment was:

Originally Posted by KarateMomUSA
Common sense: Of course since he was hated by the military dictator, his efforts to build his TKD movement was hampered.

My response was that assuming what you said was true, that General Choi was hated by President PARK Chung Hee because General Choi sat on his court martial and sentenced him to death, and therefore President Park used "nasty korean politics" to screw General Choi, then why did he allow General Choi to participate in Taekwondo at all? If President Park hated General Choi so much as you and chrispillertkd say (citing to General Choi's autobiography) then why didn't he simply kick him out of the ROK Army and deny him access to any governmental activity. Why send him off to Malaysia as an ambassador? After General Choi was forced back from Malaysia due to allegations of financial wrong doing, why didn't President Park charge General Choi with embezzlement of government funds and send him to jail? After all, he was a "military dictator", how hard would it have been for President Park to use "nasty Korean politics" to trump up some criminal charges and convict him? Why allow him to become KTA President? Why allow the ROK military to use his Chang Hon tul? Why allow the ITF to select instructors for a one year government expense paid trip out of the country? If I were President Park, and I hated General Choi as much as you say he did, then I would have cut him off and thrown him in jail like the rest of the problem people. That's what military dictators do right, use nasty politics to hurt their political opponents, which General Choi claims he was?

That is the point, which you obviously missed. But really, who cares, except you. Please, do us all a favor and don't answer.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

These are good questions & do require some thinking here about not only the context, but time line. I will attempt to address them 1 at a time, so we can continue to have what I hope will be a productive dialogue.
It is also helpful it one will realize that Gen Choi was a 2 Star Major General, 1 of the founding members of the ROK Army, an award winning calligraphy artist, the 1st Korean Ambassador to Malaysia, in addition the the author of several books. So he was an educated man, a politician & a shrewd tactician. Of course many if not all of the informed history buffs of our Art know, he used his military power to further his agenda. He also used the military dictatorship as well, for as long as he could. You do realize that the 1st Honorary President of the ITF was a KCIA Director, right? He used the support from that govt to get the funding for the goodwill world tour in 1965. It was set up by another Ambassador, a General Choi Duk Shin, that was moved out of Korea when Gen Park was consolidating his power. This Gen Choi eventually became their Foreign Minister. He of course exiled himself to the USA, then defected to north Korea.

My response was that assuming what you said was true, that General Choi was hated by President PARK Chung Hee because General Choi sat on his court martial and sentenced him to death, and therefore President Park used "nasty korean politics" to screw General Choi, then why did he allow General Choi to participate in Taekwondo at all? If President Park hated General Choi so much as you and chrispillertkd say (citing to General Choi's autobiography) then why didn't he simply kick him out of the ROK Army and deny him access to any governmental activity.

OK 1st of all I said that the Modern History stated that Gen Park "hated" Gen Choi. Please keep things straight.
Now I can agree that a possible reason for the source of the hatred was the fact that Gen Choi sat as a judge on a panel of 3 officers during the military tribunal that convicted Gen Park & sentenced him to death. His death sentence was spared as he apparently cooperated with efforts to expose other communists. Again a sample of the nasty Korean politics. The young junior officer Park, was allowed back in service with the outbreak of the Korean Civil War that started on June 25, 1950. He rose again as another young high ranking officer.
Be that as it may, Gen Choi supported the military coup on May 16, 1961, as did most of the other high ranking officers. Now they did so, as some said, because they thought that the govt would be turned over to the people. As we know it never was during Gen Park's brutal regime.
Now how many high ranking officers were really going to follow Gen Park? That wasn't the plan. Gen Park even caught the USA off guard. he wasn't even on their radar. The corruption of the Rhee govt, followed by the confusion surrounding the ineptness of the govt after Rhee, the puppet president was ousted, was ripe for a coup. The coup was successful partially because no blood was spilled. That was because the cooperation was there. It however was short lived for some of the leading Korean powers to be.

Why send him off to Malaysia as an ambassador?

Gen Park was looking to consolidate his power. This was a common tactic that he deployed. Gen Choi as even the Modern History states, was in charge of the 6th Army Corp. He was also a "commander of a combat operation, Director of Intelligence for the ROK Army, and commander of the 2nd Nonsan training facility". He had power, plain & simple. He had 100,000 troops under his command. He was plugged in to the power structure. Gen Park wanted him out of the country & moved him preciously when he made his move to assume the presidency (1962)! Remember I already quoted sources from researchers at the US Library of Congress that stated these junior officers had about 3,600 people under their command out of over 600,000 troops. Gen Choi had about 100,000 troops under his command in the capital of SeoulIt was 1962 when Gen Park promoted himself to 4 Star General & assumed the presidency. Prior to that, his military was running the country with both a president & prime minister technically in charge as the figure heads. One of them, I don't recall off the top of my head, capitulated & assured the US that all was under control. Once Gen Park's team orchestrated this, it paved the way for him to take over the presidency.

After General Choi was forced back from Malaysia due to allegations of financial wrong doing, why didn't President Park charge General Choi with embezzlement of government funds and send him to jail? After all, he was a "military dictator", how hard would it have been for President Park to use "nasty Korean politics" to trump up some criminal charges and convict him?

Good question & 1 I asked myself. Now this charge appears to be baseless, made by his detractors. As you are 100% right, he could have been thrown in jail, as that is what dictators do. I have asked historians about this, other Korean grandmasters, another Ambassador to Malaysia from Korea, as well as a former deputy director of the KCIA.
I have found this charge in 1 place, Grandmaster Lee Chong Woo's interview by reporter Yook.
Have you ever seen this charge anywhere else?

Why allow him to become KTA President? Why allow the ROK military to use his Chang Hon tul? Why allow the ITF to select instructors for a one year government expense paid trip out of the country? If I were President Park, and I hated General Choi as much as you say he did, then I would have cut him off and thrown him in jail like the rest of the problem people. That's what military dictators do right, use nasty politics to hurt their political opponents, which General Choi claims he was?

Again the time line & context of what was happening is important. Gen Choi returns in 1964. This was when Gen Park made his controversial move to Japan, which caused many protests. The next year Gen Park started to send combat troops at the request of the USA to Vietnam. He had bigger problems to worry about then. TKD was still not on the radar & Gen Choi was still working within the govt, as he was a shrewd palyer, double player etc. Remember he was working for the American CIA as well, at some point & them of course we know about his out reach to north Korea & his working with that regime, maybe the worst 1 on the planet. There were many allegations of north Korea using TKD for their KGB, you are aware of that, right?
Also I am not sure when Gen Park went to West Germany & was greeted at the airport by American & German Chang Hon TKD students, waving the Korean flags. When he went to them, he asked them what they were doing & they said that they were TKD students! This was huge & they say planted a seed that TKD could be beneficial to Korean propaganda & KCIA purposes.
Gen Choi's real problems with Gen Park, like many Koreans did not start till 1969, when he chaged their constitution again, so he could remain president with no more limits. In other words a dictator for life & his was, till he was killed by his own KCIA Direcotr on Oct 26, 1979, after 18 years of brutality, with the height of the brutality not coming till 1972. Remember he again changed the constitution & suspended their Parliament. It was 1972 when Gen Choi exiled himself. It is factual that Gen Choi's family was held hostage. Please just speak to Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee's students in the Dominican Republic, who got their president to intercede. They will talk about it, as will Mr Rhee & the members of the Choi family who were affected 1st hand by it!

That is the point, which you obviously missed. But really, who cares, except you. Please, do us all a favor and don't answer.

I am sorry if I missed any points. Please let me know & I will reply as soon as I can. It is no problem for me to answer, as I am happy to do so.
Now please feel free to respond to any of these specific points above.