Ruling Out Konglish

Oscar Oh, the chief organizer of the World Taekwondo Festival, stresses that South Korea should be the leader carrying the taekwondo spirit, providing programs and guidelines for all practitioners in and out of the nation.

/ Courtesy of
Chungcheong University

Taekwondo Need to Change: Oh

By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter

Konglish is a sublanguage in which English words or phrases are used in a Korean context.

While Konglish is often spoken by Koreans, people from English-speaking countries usually can't understand it.

Oscar Oh, the chief organizer of the World Taekwondo Festival, stresses that Konglish should not be used in taekwondo, a martial art that originated in Korea.

If the sport, which was marred by controversial refereeing at the Beijing Olympics, is going to thrive on a global level, Oh believes Korean taekwondo leaders should adjust to the needs of practitioners from other countries, which he called ``ruling out Konglish'' in taekwondo.

``I believe Korean people involved in taekwondo must change rather than maintain their control over the sport,'' Oh said in an interview with The Korea Times.

``We need to break the stereotype that Korea must do everything because taekwondo originated from the country.

``Sweeping four gold medals at the Olympics does not guarantee (Korea's) post of the suzerain state.''

The 55-year-old Oh, also the chairman of Chungcheong University, organized the annual World Taekwondo Festival in 1998 to strengthen Korea's status as the birth nation of taekwondo.

``South Korea proudly calls itself the suzerain country of taekwondo, but it has failed to deliver leadership,'' he said.

``The Seoul-backed World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has focused on athletes competing in the Olympics or other international events, but what have we done for the 60 million others around the world learning the sport?

``South Korea should be the leader carrying the taekwondo spirit, providing programs and guidelines for all practitioners in and out of the nation.

``If so, Korea will be able to step back to a real taekwondo header.''

He said that scuffles between taekwondo leaders have hurt the sport and pushed people away from it.

``Because of interior rows, taekwondo is criticized,'' he said.

``Why do 60 million practitioners get blamed for a power struggle by a few kingpins?''

Oh has strived to unite taekwondo leaders. He invited members of the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) to this year's taekwondo festival, which took place in Cheongju in July. It was the first time for the WTF and the ITF to be featured in one event.

Oh also helped Choi Jung-hwa, the president of the ITF, return to Korea Monday for the first time in 34 years.

Choi had expressed his will to come home through the Korean embassy in Canada in June and got the South Korean government's approval.

The ITF, now a London-based body, was established in 1966 and its headquarters were moved out of South Korea after the Korean government refused to give the founder, Choi's father Choi Hong-hi, permission to teach taekwondo in North Korea.

After the ITF left, South Korea founded the WTF, which is now recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sport's official body, in 1973.

Choi's father died from cancer in 2002 and Pyongyang named North Korean IOC member Chang Ung to head the ITF.

An angry Choi established another taekwondo body in Canada, claiming it was the legitimate ITF. The 54-year-old Choi said North Korean authorities took control of the martial arts group and sent spies overseas under the name of taekwondo masters.

``We have worked together, agreeing to unify taekwondo,'' said Oh, who has developed a close relationship with Choi since 2005.

``Regardless of political issues, I want to make a world taekwondo family.

``The WTF has 60 million people and 40 million belong to the ITF. We should try to hold those separated resources together.''

ksw@koreatimes.co.kr

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