This belt buckle commemorates the 3rd World Taekwondo Championships, held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1977. The event represented another important milestone in the international growth of Taekwondo and brought together athletes, officials, and dignitaries from around the world in the spirit of competition and friendship.The United States Taekwondo Museum® extends its sincere appreciation to 8th Dan Grandmaster Young Suh for assisting with this virtual enshrinement.
As a special note, Grandmaster Young Suh is the son of Grandmaster Jung Kil Suh, a respected Taekwondo pioneer whose contributions helped advance the art both in Korea and internationally.Grandmaster Jung Kil Suh was a student of Song Moo Kwan Founder Great Grandmaster Noh Byung Jik. He served as a referee at the 1st World Taekwondo Championships in 1973 and again at the 2nd World Taekwondo Championships in 1975, helping to establish the standards and professionalism of international Taekwondo competition. He also served as a bodyguard to South Korean President Park Chung-hee.From 1977 through 1989, Grandmaster Suh resided in Toronto, Canada, where he played a significant leadership role in the development of Taekwondo throughout the country. During this period, he served as President of the WTF Taekwondo Federation of British Columbia and as President of Taekwondo Canada, helping to strengthen and expand the growth of Taekwondo nationwide.
The United States Taekwondo Museum® is honored to preserve and share this historic artifact from the early era of World Taekwondo competition, ensuring that future generations may appreciate and learn from the individuals, events, and achievements that helped shape modern Olympic Taekwondo.