The pioneers had no problems recognizing, respecting and acknowledging their teachers. And this is what the actual translation was that you are referring to above:
Q: Is Karate the only martial art that had an impact on Taekwondo in the process of its creation after Liberation? No other influences at all?
A: That is a candid statement. I am the one who wrote books bringing in various materials of all sorts, but now is the time to disclose the facts. All the masters who taught Karate got together and formulated basic Taekwondo forms, and I took a central role. It should not be a big issue now to disclose this fact, because we are at the top of the world.
Q: Do you assume that, when evaluated based on technical standards, Korean martial arts are behind Japanese martial arts?
A: At the present time, Taekwondo is ahead, since it has become a competitive sport. Japan was far ahead when Taekwondo was first created; it was inevitable, because Taekwondo is a modified version of Karate. At that time, Taek Kyun was the only Korean martial art, and it was taught as a health exercise by the Elder, Duk Ki Song. For this reason, movements were soft and were practiced for health management. In Taekwondo, in order to create strong power, you must initiate with relaxed movement. All punches must strike hard rather than push, in order to have power. For this, relaxation is required.