Kim Un-yong, the Giant of Korean Athletics, passed away

Kim Un-yong, worrying about Taekwondo even before his death … “Let the tournament succeed”

Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice chairman Kim Un-yong died on the morning of March 3.
Former vice chairman Kim was hospitalized at the Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul the day before. But he passed away because of old age.
Kim, who was born in 1931 in Daegu, led the Kukkiwon in 1972 and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in 1973. In 1986 he was elected to the IOC, and in 1992 he was appointed vice chairman of the IOC.
Kim, who had a great influence on the world sports community centered on Taekwondo, assumed the position of chairman of the Korea Sports Council in 1997 and did many things with the head of the Korean physical education community.
He also influenced on The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
The 2000 Sydney Olympic Games were a great achievement of former vice chairman Kim. South and North Korean players entered the opening ceremony at the same time, and Kim was led this achievement.
Taekwondo has been adopted as a formal sport since the Sydney Olympics, and it is also a testimony that former vice chairman Kim’s influence.
Former vice chairman Kim showed a healthy appearance in June, meeting with a member of the North Korean IOC who visited Korea. The two laughed at the memories that made the Sydney Olympics a joint effort.
However, former vice chairman Kim suddenly left the world and made many people sad.
The last part of the deceased, dedicated to Korean physical education until the moment he closed his eyes, was ‘Please give me a good shot at the Kim Un-Yong Cup Taekwondo Competition’.
Last year, he set up Kim Un-Yong Sports Committee for the development of Korean sports and Taekwondo globalization.
The deceased has been preparing for the Kim Un-Yong Cup International Open Taekwondo Competition, which will be held from October 28th to November 1st this month.
Although the deceased, who led Taekwondo’s adoption of the Olympic Games, showed great attachment to the competition after his name, he closed his eyes without seeing the event.
Former vice chairman Kim’s funeral was punctuated by the Taekwondo funeral. The ceremony was held at Kukkiwon at 8:30 am on the 9th.