1972: a forced move to Canada
Choi’s relations with Park Chung Hee’s regime grew increasingly strained. In April 1971, Park was re-elected for a third presidential term. Economic growth was accompanied by more authoritarian rule: student protests were suppressed and opponents arrested in the autumn, followed by a state of emergency on 6 December.
Against this background, Choi was forced to leave South Korea in 1972 and settled in Canada. The ITF headquarters moved with him to Toronto. A federation that had begun in Korea’s military and diplomatic circles was now being led from exile.
Park Jong Soo was already teaching in Canada, where schools and students provided a foundation for continued work. Choi kept travelling, meeting instructors and preparing books. In 1974, Montreal hosted the first ITF World Championships. The biographical chapter on exile explores this turning point in his life.
A parallel path in South Korea
Meanwhile, Kukkiwon and the future WT were developing in Seoul. Kukkiwon opened in 1972 as a centre for technical and grading work. On 28 May 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) was founded to develop international sport. It later adopted the name World Taekwondo (WT).
The ITF and WTF built separate international networks, rules and calendars. National associations and instructors chose the organisations with which they would work. Different approaches to teaching and competition became established within the related Korean martial arts.
September 1980: the visit to North Korea
In September 1980, Choi brought a demonstration team to North Korea. The visit held personal meaning for the founder, who had been born in the north before the peninsula was divided. He hoped Taekwon-Do could help bring Koreans closer together.
Systematic teaching of his art in North Korea followed the demonstrations. Local instructors later joined the ITF’s international work. State support opened new opportunities for teaching visits and the federation’s development.
Some longstanding masters did not accept the closer relationship with North Korea. Disputes within the ITF concerned political ties, organisational independence and its future direction. Choi’s personal authority still held much of the movement together, but disagreements among his colleagues were growing.
A European foundation and headquarters in Vienna
European schools gradually built their own framework for cooperation. The All Europe Taekwon-Do Federation (AETF) was founded in 1979. It connected national associations and supported teaching and continental competitions. This network would later play an important part in sustaining and developing our international ITF branch.
In 1985, the ITF headquarters moved from Toronto to Vienna. Austria’s central European location and neutrality made meetings between representatives of different countries easier. Vienna became the federation’s administrative centre; Choi also continued living and working in Canada and travelling internationally.
Seminars brought together masters with different backgrounds, languages and political views. Technique and teaching connected them. At the same time, questions of leadership, resources and independence continued to cause disagreements that would eventually lead to separate organisational paths.