Chinese philanthropist supports taekwondo

By Baek Byung-yeul

China’s Huamin Charity Foundation committed to donate $600,000 to the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF), Sunday, to support taekwondo academies for refugees.

Lu Dezhi, chairman of the Huamin Charity Foundation, said that he decided to take part in the WTF’s refugee assistance programs after meeting with the WTF President Choue Chung-won.

“I learned what kind of sport taekwondo is after meeting with Choue. I was deeply impressed by his vision to support refugees worldwide,” Lu told The Korea Times, Monday.

The WTF and its associated charity initiative, the THF, are already running a taekwondo academy in the Azraq Camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. Lu visited the WTF’s headquarters in Seoul to sign the donation contract with the WTF and the THF. The money from the Chinese charity foundation will be used to construct academies for taekwondo education in Jordan, Rwanda and countries in North Africa over the next three years.

Choue expressed his “deepest gratitude to Lu,” calling him “a true philanthropist.”

“His donation will be well spent, helping to empower some of the most powerless people in the world ― refugee children,” Choue said Sunday.

Introducing the Beijing-based charity foundation, Lu explained the foundation focuses on taking care of the aged, funding university students and supporting the disabled in China.

“Since it was established in 2008, we have been running various kinds of support programs for people in China. Further, we are planning to expand our charity programs worldwide in close cooperation with the Chinese government and international charity organizations,” Lu said.

He said the charity foundation will continue supporting the taekwondo federation’s refugee assistance programs.

“Huamin’s support for the WTF and the THF is just the beginning of our global support program. We will continue to support their charity programs. And, if possible, we will also explore ways to help people in Korea through taekwondo education,” Lu said.

While South Korea’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an advanced missile defense system, on its soil has strained relationship with China, Lu stressed that the foundation’s charity activities could be a symbol of a non-governmental effort to improve harmony between the two countries as well.

“Next year marks the 25th anniversary of China-Korea diplomatic normalization and I think the current discord is temporary because I am so sure the bilateral relationships of the two countries will be strengthened increasingly,” Lu said.

“As taekwondo is a martial art originating in Korea, the decision to donate to the WTF and the THF would be meaningful for both countries as well,” Lu said.

During his visit to Seoul, Lu gave a lecture titled “Donation culture in the 21st century and a coexistence strategy in the era of globalization” at Kyung Hee University’s Suwon campus.