Jeongkang Seo: “The Secretary General must anticipate risks and turn vision into results”

MASTKD’s journey through South Korea did not end at a competition venue or alongside a leading sporting figure. It concluded in one of the places where the decisions shaping the present and future of global Taekwondo are made.

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The agenda began at the Korea Taekwondo Association, where MASTKD interviewed its President, Yang Jin-bang, one of the most influential figures in the contemporary leadership of Korean Taekwondo.

It continued at Kukkiwon, where President Yun Ung-suk welcomed the media outlet for a conversation focused on martial identity, education, international certification and the challenges facing the institution recognized as the World Taekwondo Headquarters.

The journey concluded at the offices of World Taekwondo with Jeongkang Seo, Secretary General of the global governing body and one of the main officials responsible for translating the federation’s political vision into administrative processes, governance standards and operational decisions.

Through this series, MASTKD gained direct access to three essential dimensions of Taekwondo’s institutional power: South Korea’s national federation, the martial authority represented by Kukkiwon and the organization that globally governs the sport’s competitive and Olympic structure.

MASTKD Received by Kukkiwon President Yun Ung-suk at the World Taekwondo Headquarters

The conclusion of the series carried particular significance

World Taekwondo oversees a structure comprising 215 national member associations, five continental unions and a sporting community extending across virtually the entire world. It is where international competition rules, governance standards, development programs, technological systems and part of the strategy that will determine Taekwondo’s future within the Olympic Movement are defined.

Within that institutional architecture, the Secretary General occupies a decisive position. While the presidency establishes the political and strategic vision, the General Secretariat must convert that vision into policies, procedures and measurable results.

Jeongkang Seo welcomed MASTKD to address some of the most sensitive issues currently facing the sport: the balance between autonomy and oversight, the integrity of continental organizations, economic disparities between countries, meaningful athlete participation and the need to make Taekwondo more accessible to audiences without compromising fairness or safety.

MASTKD at the KTA: Jin Bang Yang Explains the Structure of Korean Taekwondo from Seoul

His answers also offered definitions that extend beyond day-to-day administration

For the Secretary General, continental unions are not independent structures separate from World Taekwondo, but parts of the same institutional body. Autonomy, he explained, must coexist with alignment, accountability and compliance with shared principles.

Seo also acknowledged a difficulty that is rarely expressed publicly: some smaller federations fail to access support programs because they do not know the procedures, do not submit applications or do not communicate their needs.

On integrity, he argued that Taekwondo must reassess historical practices that may have been accepted in another era but are no longer compatible with current sporting and social standards.

The interview offers insight into the internal logic of an international federation and demonstrates that Olympic permanence cannot be guaranteed solely by history, participation numbers or competitive quality. Every sport must continuously prove the value it brings to the Olympic Movement.

This is MASTKD’s full conversation with Jeongkang Seo

World Taekwondo has introduced reforms aimed at strengthening representation, efficiency and governance. From your position as Secretary General, what should be the main administrative legacy of this period?

World Taekwondo is an association of national federations. In essence, the national associations are the stakeholders and, at the same time, the owners of the organization.

For that reason, it is important to build and leave an administrative legacy in which all regulations, policies and practices are centered on their interests and needs.

This does not mean that we should only provide services to national federations. We must also ensure that they continue developing into self-sustainable organizations capable of operating according to the same principles of transparency and efficiency that World Taekwondo seeks to uphold.

Our education and development programs are built around that objective.

In addition, we must continue promoting among national federations the role of sport as a tool for sustainable development and peace.

“National federations are the stakeholders and, at the same time, the owners of World Taekwondo.”

The President is usually seen as the central political figure, but the Secretary General must transform that vision into an operational structure. How do you define your role within World Taekwondo?

The roles of administrator, institutional strategist, guardian of governance and political liaison among the continents are all essential for a Secretary General.

Every international federation has its own organizational culture and traditions. At World Taekwondo, the President has always been the driving force behind the organization.

The President should be a visionary and objective-minded leader. The Secretary General, meanwhile, must focus on processes and execution.

The Secretary General must be able to anticipate potential risks and establish administrative goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and tangible.

Vision must be converted into procedures, results and clear responsibilities.

“The Secretary General must anticipate risks and turn vision into procedures, results and clear responsibilities.”

Continental unions are expected to uphold principles of elected representation, gender equity and efficient executive structures. How far can World Taekwondo require these standards without undermining continental autonomy?

World Taekwondo is not an organization made up solely of five continental unions. It is an organization composed of 215 national member associations.

That is a very important starting point.

Continental unions should function as structures that allow us to serve, support and reach national federations more effectively. They can do so because of geographical proximity, cultural similarities and, in many cases, common languages.

For that reason, they fulfil a very important role as a bridge between World Taekwondo and its members.

But continental unions are part of World Taekwondo. They are not fully independent organizations.

The fundamental principle is that they must remain aligned with World Taekwondo and move in the same institutional direction.

At the same time, we have five continents, and each has its own cultures, traditions and specific characteristics that must be respected.

Therefore, the key lies in finding a balance between autonomy and alignment.

World Taekwondo must respect the particularities of each continent, but continental unions must exercise their autonomy in a way that is compatible with the values, regulations and strategic direction of the global organization.

Autonomy cannot become a separation from shared principles or an absence of accountability.

“Continental unions are part of World Taekwondo. They are not fully independent organizations.”

World Taekwondo grew from 17 national associations in 1973 to 215 members and a Refugee Team. How is the real quality of a federation measured beyond formal affiliation?

One of the most important responsibilities of World Taekwondo, as the central body, is not only to standardize sporting rules. It must also help national federations build their own capacities.

Ideally, every federation should be self-sustainable. However, the reality is that not all our members have yet reached that level.

That is why development programs exist: education, equipment, scholarships, support for participation and other tools designed to strengthen federations.

Taekwondo will grow faster when its national associations are stronger.

To better understand the situation of each member, World Taekwondo began implementing its national federation survey in 2020.

The survey allows us to understand their structure, needs, level of performance and governance situation. With that information, we can better identify the type of assistance each organization requires.

We also share the best practices of certain federations so that others can use them as a reference.

We do not want development to be only a vertical process in which World Taekwondo gives instructions. We also want federations to learn from one another.

That peer-to-peer exchange is very important.

With the survey data, the different World Taekwondo departments can work more precisely with each federation and focus on its weakest areas.

Our strategy follows two tracks: on the one hand, assessing, benchmarking and encouraging improvement; on the other, providing concrete support programs.

There is also a communication challenge. Some smaller federations are not fully aware of the available programs, do not know how to apply or simply do not submit their needs.

World Taekwondo may have resources, equipment or assistance available, but if a federation does not communicate and explain what it needs, it becomes very difficult to help.

That is why we insist that they tell us what they need. From there, we can assess the situation and determine how to work together.

“We may have resources and assistance available, but if a federation does not explain what it needs, it becomes very difficult to help.”

World Taekwondo has adopted risk-management policies and strengthened its integrity mechanisms. What are the most sensitive institutional risks today?

All aspects related to integrity are important: athlete protection, conflicts of interest, financial administration, electoral processes, abuse of power and compliance with regulations.

However, one of the greatest challenges is establishing global standards and ensuring that they can be applied consistently across all continental unions.

Integrity requires human resources, specialized knowledge and financial capacity. Not every continental organization currently possesses those resources.

When an organization focuses primarily on growing the sport and staging competitions, there is a risk that integrity or protection will be seen as additional tasks, separate from its main priorities.

But these issues must be an integral part of sports administration.

World Taekwondo establishes standards, develops guidelines and seeks to ensure that continental unions have qualified personnel in areas such as safeguarding and athlete protection.

Education is fundamental.

Taekwondo has a very particular culture and tradition. Certain practices may have been considered normal or acceptable 10 or 20 years ago. However, society and sport have changed, and some behaviors can no longer be accepted.

We must therefore explain which practices are no longer admissible and why.

Publishing a regulation is not enough. We need to educate, raise awareness and support cultural change.

That process must be carried out together with continental unions and national federations.

“Publishing a regulation is not enough. We need to educate, raise awareness and support cultural change.”

Many organizations state that athletes are at the center of their policies. What mechanisms allow athletes to have a real influence within World Taekwondo?

The Athletes Committee plays an active role within World Taekwondo.

Its two Co-Chairs serve on the Council as ex officio members. In this way, they represent the athletes’ voice within the organization’s main decision-making body.

They also participate in the Technical Commission, where competition rules are analyzed and developed.

This means that athletes are already involved in both governance decisions and technical matters.

Their participation is not limited to a formal declaration.

At the same time, we must continue improving the mechanisms for involvement and education. It is important for athletes to understand how institutional processes work, how they can prepare to participate and which channels are available for them to express their views.

We are also paying particular attention to mental health and other aspects of athlete well-being.

The objective is for athlete participation to become increasingly informed, structured and effective.

“Athlete participation is not limited to a formal declaration: athletes are already involved in both governance and technical decisions.”

World Taekwondo is advancing in artificial intelligence, electronic systems and new technologies. How can those developments avoid increasing inequality between countries with different financial capacities?

Technology creates additional costs, but it is also necessary to improve transparency, objectivity and fairness in competition.

We cannot abandon it.

The question is how to introduce it without leaving behind federations with fewer resources.

When we develop new technologies, we work in two directions.

At certain high-level competitions, we can implement more advanced systems. At the same time, we must assess whether there are ways to reduce the level of equipment or costs at other events without compromising standards of transparency and integrity.

Not every competition necessarily needs to operate with the same technological infrastructure, but all must guarantee fair conditions.

The second path is development programs.

When a new technology becomes necessary, World Taekwondo must identify which federations need support and assist them with equipment, training or other forms of help so they can compete and organize events under comparable conditions.

However, we again face the issue of communication.

We promote these programs during General Assemblies and through the continental unions, but some smaller federations do not know how to submit an application or are unaware of the opportunities available.

In recent years, we have worked particularly with African countries, and we are also paying attention to smaller federations and territories in the Caribbean.

We may be prepared to provide equipment or finance participation, but if a federation does not apply for support, we do not know its specific need.

The message is simple: they need to communicate with us. They need to tell us what they require. We can then assess the situation and find a way to collaborate.

“Technology is necessary, but innovation cannot leave behind federations with fewer resources.”

When World Taekwondo changes competition rules, what carries the greatest weight: sporting fairness, athlete safety, public understanding or commercial appeal?

To remain within the Olympic Movement, a sport must have global appeal.

If Taekwondo is watched and enjoyed only by people who already belong to the Taekwondo community, we will face an important limitation.

We need to reach spectators who may never have seen the sport, who do not know its rules and who are watching a competition for the first time.

We want those people to enjoy Taekwondo and become interested in continuing to watch it or even beginning to practice it.

That is why simplification is one of the main objectives whenever we change the rules.

After every edition of the Olympic Games, we receive feedback through different channels, and one observation is repeated: many people find it difficult to understand what is happening during a contest.

Those of us within Taekwondo may believe that the rules are clear because we already know them. But a large part of the Olympic audience is watching certain sports for the first time.

If a person turns on the television, watches a contest and feels that everything is too complicated, they may change the channel.

We must preserve our identity, competitive fairness, safety and excitement, but at the same time we need to make Taekwondo easier to follow.

The younger generation and new audiences must be able to understand it, enjoy it and feel attracted to it.

That is one of the central principles behind the rule changes.

“If Taekwondo is watched and enjoyed only by people who already belong to Taekwondo, we will face an important limitation.”

World Taekwondo promotes humanitarian programs, refugee initiatives, sustainability and inclusion. How can the organization prevent these actions from being perceived merely as an image-building strategy?

Sport can no longer live in isolation from society.

Perhaps in the past, a sports organization could focus exclusively on its rules and competitions. Today, that is no longer possible.

Sport is part of the world and, in many cases, receives public funding provided by taxpayers. It therefore also has responsibilities towards society.

The United Nations recognized sport as an enabler of sustainable development. That recognition sends a very important message about the value sport can bring.

Society expects sport to contribute.

World Taekwondo seeks to demonstrate that a person’s life can be changed through Taekwondo.

We have programs such as Taekwondo Cares and the initiatives of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation. There are very moving stories of participants who began in refugee camps and later reached international competitions or won medals.

But that is not necessarily the ultimate objective of our social programs.

Success should not be measured only by producing a champion.

A person may become a coach, a teacher, a doctor, an engineer or pursue any other profession. What matters is that Taekwondo played a positive role in transforming that person’s life.

If the sport provided discipline, education, confidence, opportunities or a new direction, then the program had value.

After several years of work, we must also evaluate the outcomes and demonstrate with evidence how these initiatives are helping to change lives.

That is the difference between a communications campaign and a genuine social policy.

“The success of a social program should not be measured only by producing a champion, but by its capacity to change a life.”

What must Taekwondo demonstrate at Los Angeles 2028 to establish itself as one of the most modern, inclusive and reliable sports within the Olympic Movement?

Taekwondo has evolved significantly over recent decades and after every edition of the Olympic Games.

At this stage, I do not believe that we need to introduce another radical change. The sport already has a relatively stable competitive structure.

We must continue improving its global appeal, public understanding and confidence in the quality and integrity of competitions.

In Los Angeles, we will once again have to demonstrate the values that Taekwondo brings to the Olympic Movement: excellence and universality.

We always seek to maintain a balance between those two principles.

Our responsibility is to demonstrate why Taekwondo should remain on the Olympic program and why it represents a valuable part of that platform.

We can imagine the Olympic program as a large department store. Every sport occupies a space within it and must prove to those responsible for the store that keeping it there is positive for the whole.

That is our job.

In Los Angeles, we will once again demonstrate the value of Taekwondo, and we have full confidence that we will be able to do so.

“Every sport occupies a space within the Olympic program and must prove why keeping it there is positive for the whole.”

Institutional power, facing the questions

The interview with Jeongkang Seo concluded far more than a journalistic agenda in South Korea.

MASTKD’s reception by Yang Jin-bang at the Korea Taekwondo Association, Yun Ung-suk at Kukkiwon and Jeongkang Seo at World Taekwondo created an exceptional series within specialized sports journalism.

Its true significance, however, did not lie solely in gaining access. It lay in the opportunity to directly question the leaders of three of the most influential institutions in world Taekwondo.

The journey made it possible to address three fundamental dimensions of the same discipline: its national structure in the country of origin, its martial and educational authority, and its international sporting leadership.

MASTKD’s access to these institutions reflects an unusual level of direct institutional dialogue for a specialized media outlet. Yet the real journalistic value lies in using that access to ask questions about power, governance, responsibility and the future.

Seo did not present an organization without difficulties.

He acknowledged that some federations have not yet achieved self-sustainability, that integrity standards require resources not every continent possesses, that some smaller associations do not know how to access support programs and that the sport must reassess practices inherited from earlier periods.

He also made clear that continental autonomy has limits: the unions are part of World Taekwondo and must answer to shared principles.

His message regarding the Olympic future was equally direct. History does not guarantee permanence. Tradition does not guarantee it either.

Taekwondo must be fair, safe, universal, understandable and attractive. It must demonstrate that it contributes to the overall value of the Games and deserves to retain its place on the world’s largest sporting stage.

The interview therefore concluded where much of the sport’s institutional future is defined: with the Secretary General of World Taekwondo, inside the offices of the global governing body.

It was a fitting conclusion to a series that took MASTKD from the roots of Korean Taekwondo to the center of its global power.

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