The funeral of the late Taekwondo elder Kang Won-sik, an important figure in modern Taekwondo history, was solemnly held as an official Kukkiwon funeral.

The funeral service which took place at 2:00 PM on October 5th (Sat), at Kukkiwon's central training hall, was attended by around 200 figures from the Taekwondo community. Among the attendees were Kukkiwon Chairman Jeon Gap-gil, World Taekwondo President Cho Jung-won, Asia Taekwondo Union President Lee Kyu-seok, Korea Taekwondo Association President Yang Jin-bang, Taekwondo Promotion Foundation Chairman Kim Joong-hun, Kukkiwon President Lee Dong-sup (Chairman of the Funeral Executive Committee), Kukkiwon’s Administrative Vice President Noh Soon-myung (Vice Chairman of the Funeral Executive Committee), the Elders Council, the Technical Review Committee as well as officials from Kukkiwon, city and provincial Taekwondo associations and Song Moo Kwan.

Also, Former Asia Taekwondo Union President and Taekwondo Promotion Foundation Chairman Lee Dae-soon also attended to bid farewell to the deceased.

The ceremony began solemnly at 2 p.m and as the procession entered the funeral hall, all the mourners rose to offere their prayers for the deceased.

The ceremony proceeded in the following order: ▲National Ceremony, ▲Silent Tribute, ▲Posthumous Promotion to 10th Dan, ▲Presentation of the Deceased’s Biography (by the Vice Chairman of the Funeral Executive Committee), ▲Eulogy (by the Co-Chairman of the Funeral Committee), ▲Tribute Speech (by the Chairman of the Funeral Executive Committee), ▲Response from the Bereaved Family, and ▲Floral Tribute.

Following the National Ceremony and silent tribute, Kukkiwon President Lee Dong-sup posthumously awarded the 10th Dan to the late elder for his lifelong contributions to Taekwondo and Administrative Vice President Noh Soon-myung presented the deceased’s biography.

In his eulogy, Kukkiwon Chairman Jeon Gap-gil said, “We honor the noble spirit of Elder Kang who dedicated his body and mind to Taekwondo which was his life itself. We will make sure that the passion and devotion of the elder will not be in vain as we open up a brighter future for Taekwondo."

Asia Taekwondo Union President Lee Kyu-seok expressed his condolences by saying, "I pray for the soul of the late Kang Won-sik who devoted his life to Taekwondo. Looking back on the many years we shared, I am filled with deep emotions and I miss the way he worked fairly and righteously in the Taekwondo community. May he rest in peace."

Korea Taekwondo Association President Yang Jin-bang said, “We must never forget Elder Kang’s achievements, particularly his work in innovating the competitions and establishing a systematic approach to educating the instructors. The integrity and uprightness that the elder demonstrated throughout his life are qualities that all Taekwondo practitioners should learn."

Taekwondo Promotion Foundation Chairman Kim Joong-heon expressed his respect and condolences by saying, "Elder Kang, who made significant contributions to the development of Taekwondo, guided us as a great leader in the Taekwondo community. His footsteps played a vital role in Taekwondo's journey to achieving the glory it enjoys today."

Following the eulogies, Kukkiwon President Lee Dong-sup gave a tribute speech, saying, "Elder Kang Won-sik, who left a great mark on the history of modern Taekwondo, lived a righteous life and his uprightness in the face of any adversity will forever shine the future of Taekwondo. I pray for his eternal rest."

Representing the bereaved family, the late Kang's eldest son, Kang Hyung-seok, gave a response and said, "My father lived an exemplary life and raised us with righteousness and justice. He hoped that the national martial art, Taekwondo, would continue to be promoted around the world. I love and respect my proud father and I hope to meet him again in the next life." As he offered his final farewell, many of the mourners began to tear up.

Finally, family members, the Co-Chairmen of the Funeral Committee, the Chairman of the Funeral Executive Committee, advisers, funeral committee members and officials from various Taekwondo organizations laid flowers in a solemn atmosphere.

After the conclusion of the funeral, the procession followed the late Kang's footsteps toward the northern entrance of Kukkiwon, passing through Kukkiwon’s main gate where the Taekwondo demonstration team had lined up. All the mourners paid their final respects as the procession made its way to Seoul Memorial Park where the burial took place.

Elder Kang Won-sik who passed away at 8:00 AM on October 3rd (Thu) was born in Seoul in 1938. He entered Song Moo Kwan in 1953 and served as the third head of the academy. Known as one of the most influential figures in modern Taekwondo history and widely respected for his integrity and leadership, he lead the unification of Taekwondo kwans in 1978 and the establishment of the Taekwondo Hanmadang (now World Taekwondo Hanmadang) in 1992.

He dedicated his entire life to the development of Taekwondo holding key positions in the Taekwondo community, including Executive Director of the Korea Taekwondo Association, Executive Committee Member of the Asia Taekwondo Union, Vice President of Kukkiwon, Vice Director of the Taekwondo Instructor Training Institute and Chairman of the World Taekwondo Federation Technical Committee. In 2010, when Kukkiwon transitioned into a special corporation, he served as its President and laid the groundwork for its new beginning.

Kang also contributed to Taekwondo research and laying academic foundations, co-authoring Modern History of Taekwondo in 1999 and Our Taekwondo History in 2002. He also worked tirelessly training future generations in Taekwondo-related academic departments.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Heung-sook and his sons, Hyung-seok, Hyung-jun, Hyung-wook, and Hyung-hoon.