This commemorative coin honors the participation of Taekwondo in the 1988 Olympic Games held in Seoul, Korea. The Seoul Games represented a significant milestone in the history of Taekwondo, providing the Korean martial art with unprecedented international exposure on the Olympic stage.
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 pioneer of Taekwondo 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 First World Taekwondo Championships in 1973 and again at the Second World Taekwondo Championships in 1975. He also served as a bodyguard to South Korean President Park Chung-hee.
From 1977 to 1989, Grandmaster Suh resided in Toronto, Canada, where he played a significant leadership role in the growth of Taekwondo throughout Canada. During this period, he served as President of the WTF Taekwondo Federation of British Columbia and President of Taekwondo Canada, helping to strengthen and expand the development of Taekwondo across the nation.
The United States Taekwondo Museum® is honored to preserve and share this piece of Olympic Taekwondo history for future generations.