Choue Set 2026 Priorities in World Taekwondo New Year Message

World Taekwondo circulated to the media its President’s New Year message for 2026, with a review of 2025 highlights and a preview of key events and strategic themes for the new cycle.

World Taekwondo distributed the President’s official New Year message for 2026 from Dr. Chungwon Choue, addressed to the “World Taekwondo family,” outlining competitive milestones from 2025 and the roadmap ahead.

In the statement, Choue pointed to the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi as the year’s centerpiece, cited membership growth following the General Assembly’s admission of two new Member National Associations, and noted that the Assembly elected a new Council and reaffirmed his presidency for one final term.

The message also referenced World Taekwondo’s Cadet Championships in Fujairah, the inaugural Under-21 Championships in Nairobi, and a range of WT-promoted and recognized events, alongside development camps in Kyorugi, Poomsae, and Para Taekwondo, including participation from refugee athletes.

Looking to 2026, Choue highlighted upcoming Council meetings and major stops on the calendar, including the World Taekwondo Junior Championships and General Assembly in Tashkent, the return of the Grand Prix Series (Rome, Muju, Paris), the Grand Prix Final in Astana, and the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Chuncheon. He also underscored innovation themes such as Virtual Taekwondo, AI, and digital transformation.

Below, MASTKD reproduced the message in full, as received.

World Taekwondo President’s New Year Message for 2026

Beloved World Taekwondo Family,

What a year 2025 has been for World Taekwondo.

Without a doubt, the highlight was the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi. Twenty-seven Member National Associations swept the 64 medals at stake – 11 MNAs won the 16 gold medals; the 16 silver medals were won by 11 MNAs as well; and 19 MNAs shared the 32 bronze medals. Historical firsts were achieved, and in general, the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi were the best to date.

I wish to congratulate the athletes who medaled; I hope that your achievements are the first step to stardom. To the athletes who just missed out, you have a renewed aim for the coming years.

In Wuxi, the General Assembly welcomed two new Member National Associations – Réunion, and Saint Pierre & Miquelon. With 215 MNAs and a dedicated refugee team, this makes World Taekwondo within top-3 among the Olympic international federations in terms of membership size.

The General Assembly also elected a new Council and reaffirmed my presidency for one final term. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust in me and in the new Council. We will do our best for you, the World Taekwondo family, starting with the first Extraordinary Council Meeting and Council Workshop in late January of 2026.

Emerging stars shone bright with their dazzling displays at the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Fujairah. The 6-member refugee team showed their tenacity and desire to be among the best. The inaugural World Taekwondo Under-21 Championships in Nairobi further cemented my resolve: The future of Taekwondo is one that we can look forward to proudly.

The World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge Series in Charlotte, Muju, and Bangkok gave us a glimpse of the potential challengers to the established champions. Malabo played host to outstanding female athletes in the World Taekwondo Women’s Open Championships. Chuncheon continued to attract new fans with its hosting of diverse and exciting World Taekwondo-promoted events.

Furthermore, Taekwondo achieved global success through the FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, the CISM World Military Martial Arts Championships in Warendorf, and the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh.

Besides Kyorugi, Poomsae and Para Taekwondo training and education camps were conducted worldwide including for refugee athletes. This is the beauty and strength of Taekwondo – diversity, inclusion, and excellence.

The third Hope and Dreams Sports Festival in Jordan was the largest to date, with Baseball5, Badminton, Basketball 3×3, Handball, and Weightlifting joining Taekwondo for a worthy cause. World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation are grateful for the incredible support of the international federations.

Looking back on another successful and eventful year, I want to thank every MNA and host city that has organised World Taekwondo promoted and recognised events. We are a harmonious family, and through your amazing support, we have been able to share the glory together.

In 2025, I also had the opportunity to meet with the new president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry. I firmly believe that the IOC and World Taekwondo will be steadfastly aligned in our goals to create a better world through sport. I also met with IOC Honorary President for Life, Thomas Bach, and reaffirmed World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation’s commitment to improve the livelihood of refugees and displaced persons through sport.

Taekwondo is ever-changing to stay relevant with the times. The advent of Virtual Taekwondo and other cutting-edge events has set the stage for us to dive deeper into AI and digital transformation for Sport Taekwondo. We will be ready for what lies ahead. The future is now.

Looking ahead, it will be yet another busy and exciting calendar. In February, the Council will convene for the first time and discuss the strategic priorities for the new cycle in Fujairah. The best athletes and officials for 2025 will also be honoured in the UAE.

The World Taekwondo Junior Championships and the General Assembly will be held in Tashkent, where we follow the rapidly rising trajectories of aspiring athletes. From Tashkent, they will aim for the stars at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series will return in Rome, Muju, and Paris. The Grand Prix Final in Astana will be a highlight, where we will honour the best athletes and coaches of 2026. The World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Chuncheon promises to be spectacular and record-breaking.

With so many events to look forward to, I paused and reflected on the journey that I have undertaken since the inaugural year of my presidency. As I embark on my final term, I wish for World Taekwondo to be “Reborn, Together” – no matter how much we have improved, there is always room to start afresh and be better. Together.

Thank you, my dear colleagues and friends.

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