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The World Taekwondo Vice President presented the Council with a roadmap for developing the Smart PSS toward Brisbane 2032, advancing a proposal he had previously explained in an exclusive interview with MASTKD.

The presentation took place during the Extraordinary World Taekwondo Council Meeting held in Chuncheon on September 15, ahead of the Chuncheon 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

According to the announced roadmap, the system’s basic development phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Initial testing could begin at G1 and G2 events in 2028, followed by a gradual introduction at major international championships.

The long-term target is the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, where World Taekwondo aims to achieve full implementation of the new technology.

A proposal anticipated by MASTKD

The presentation before the Council reinforces the project that Jin-bang Yang had outlined months earlier during an exclusive interview with MASTKD conducted in Europe.

Jinbang Yang proposes “Smart Scoring” with AI to evolve PSS and recover powerful techniques

During that conversation, the influential Korean official addressed the need to overcome the limitations of the current PSS through artificial intelligence applied to motion recognition.

His proposal seeks to move beyond a system that responds primarily to contact between the athlete’s foot and the protector. Instead, the technology would be capable of identifying how an action was performed and determining which technique was executed.

“I want to overcome the limitations and problems of the current PSS by combining it with AI,” Yang told MASTKD.

Months later, MASTKD held a second exclusive meeting with Yang at the Korea Taekwondo Association headquarters in Seoul.

During that visit, the KTA President opened the doors of the institution and explained its competitive, educational and administrative structure, as well as its national-team selection system and relationship with Kukkiwon.

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

Together, the two interviews revealed complementary dimensions of one of the most influential figures in international Taekwondo: his vision for the technological transformation of competition and his leadership of Korea’s complex domestic sporting system.

From detecting contact to understanding technique

The Smart PSS represents a profound conceptual shift: moving from a system that detects contact signals to one capable of interpreting movement and understanding the technique being performed.

Artificial intelligence could allow the system to distinguish between different types of kicks and apply specific criteria to each action. This would give World Taekwondo the ability to recognize techniques of greater difficulty more accurately while reducing the incentives created by repetitive or low-impact actions.

Yang previously explained to MASTKD that if artificial intelligence can recognize the type of kick being executed, different scoring criteria could be assigned to different techniques.

The objective would not be limited to improving accuracy. The technology could also influence the style of competition by encouraging more powerful, difficult and visually compelling actions.

From a concept to an institutional roadmap

The most significant development presented in Chuncheon is not only the technology itself, but the establishment of concrete stages for its development and evaluation.

When he spoke with MASTKD, Yang described a gradual transition. The current PSS and artificial intelligence would initially operate together while the new system develops the accuracy and reliability required for international competition.

That vision is now supported by a timeline: development through 2027, testing from 2028, gradual introduction at major championships and Brisbane 2032 as the strategic target.

This does not mean World Taekwondo has officially announced the elimination of electronic body protectors. The project remains identified as the Smart PSS and, at least during its initial stages, represents an evolution of the current system through artificial intelligence and motion recognition.

A transformation that could redefine Kyorugi

The potential impact extends far beyond how points are recorded. If the system can distinguish between techniques and apply different scoring criteria, it could also transform athlete preparation, competitive strategy and future regulations.

Among the examples previously mentioned by Yang was the back kick, a powerful technique that can be difficult to register under the current PSS.

His proposal seeks to ensure that the actions World Taekwondo wants to promote are recognized more accurately, while techniques that exploit the limitations of the existing system become less effective.

The presentation in Chuncheon confirms that the Smart PSS is no longer merely a discussion about the future. The project previewed by Jin-bang Yang in his exclusive interview with MASTKD has entered an institutional planning phase and now has a defined Olympic horizon.

Brisbane 2032 stands as the destination. Testing scheduled to begin in 2028 will determine whether artificial intelligence can assume a decisive role in the next major transformation of competitive Taekwondo.

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