The Kukkiwon, the global headquarters of taekwondo, has appointed An Jae-Yoon, vice president of the Seoul Metropolitan City Taekwondo Association, as the new deputy director (연수부원장) of the World Taekwondo Academy (WTA).
The appointment was made during the 2025 regular board meeting, held on December 23 at the Kukkiwon headquarters, where the proposal submitted by President Yoon Woong-Seok was approved .
An Jae-Yoon, a 9th-degree black belt in taekwondo, has extensive experience in the field of taekwondo. He has served as head coach of the national team at the Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, president of the Seoul Gangseo District Taekwondo Association, and a member of the board of directors of the Seoul Taekwondo Association. In addition, he has served as a supervisor for promotion and dan examinations at the Kukkiwon (national), chair of the education subcommittee of the Technical Committee, and instructor at the WTA.
The selection process included an open call for applications from November 26 to December 9, followed by a review process that led to the Kukkiwon president’s final recommendation to the board of directors. An Jae-Yoon’s term as deputy director will last one year.
This position, formerly known as “academy director” (연수원장), was renamed “deputy academy director” (연수부원장) in March 2025 through an amendment to the Kukkiwon bylaws, with the aim of avoiding confusion with the position of the institution’s president.
The Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Academy (WTA) is responsible for training instructors, referees, and examiners worldwide, contributing to the standardization and promotion of Olympic taekwondo.
