Dear World Taekwondo Family:
What a year 2025 has been for World Taekwondo.
Without a doubt, the highlight was the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi. Twenty-seven Member National Associations shared the 64 medals up for grabs: 11 MNAs won the 16 gold medals; the 16 silver medals were also won by 11 MNAs; and 19 MNAs shared the 32 bronze medals. Historic milestones were achieved for the first time, and overall, the Taekwondo World Championships in Wuxi have been the best to date.
I would like to congratulate the athletes who won medals; I hope that their achievements are the first step toward stardom. To the athletes who fell just short, I wish you renewed determination for the coming years.
In Wuxi, the General Assembly welcomed two new Member National Associations (MNAs): Réunion and Saint Pierre & Miquelon. With 215 MNAs and a dedicated refugee team, this places World Taekwondo among the three largest Olympic international federations in terms of membership.
The General Assembly also elected a new Council and reaffirmed my presidency for one final term. Thank you for your unwavering support and for the trust you have placed in me and the new Council. We will do our best for you, the World Taekwondo family, starting with the first Extraordinary Council Meeting and Council Workshop at the end of January 2026.
Rising stars shone brightly with dazzling performances at the Cadet Taekwondo World Championships in Fujairah. The six-member refugee team demonstrated their tenacity and desire to be among the best. The first Under-21 Taekwondo World Championships in Nairobi further reinforced my conviction: the future of Taekwondo is one we can be proud of.
The World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge Series in Charlotte, Muju, and Bangkok gave us a glimpse of potential challengers to the established champions. Malabo hosted outstanding female athletes at the Women's Taekwondo World Open Championships. Chuncheon continued to attract new fans by hosting a variety of exciting events promoted by World Taekwondo.
In addition, Taekwondo achieved global success through the FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, the CISM Military Martial Arts World Championships in Warendorf, and the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh.
Beyond Kyorugi, training and education camps in Poomsae and Parataekwondo were held around the world, including for refugee athletes. This is the beauty and strength of Taekwondo: diversity, inclusion, and excellence.
The third Hope and Dreams Sports Festival in Jordan was the largest to date, with Baseball5, Badminton, 3×3 Basketball, Handball, and Weightlifting joining Taekwondo for a noble cause. World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation are grateful for the incredible support from the international federations.
As we look back on another successful and eventful year, I would like to thank every MNA and host city that has organized events promoted and recognized by World Taekwondo. We are a harmonious family, and thanks to your extraordinary support, we have been able to share the glory together.
In 2025, I also had the opportunity to meet with the new IOC President, Kirsty Coventry. I firmly believe that the IOC and World Taekwondo will be firmly aligned in our goals to create a better world through sport. I also met with IOC Honorary Life President Thomas Bach and reaffirmed the commitment of World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation to improving the lives of refugees and displaced persons through sport.
Taekwondo is constantly evolving to stay relevant with the times. The arrival of Virtual Taekwondo and other cutting-edge events has paved the way for deeper exploration of AI and digital transformation for competitive Taekwondo. We will be ready for what lies ahead. The future is now.
Looking ahead, another busy and exciting calendar awaits us. In February, the Council will meet for the first time and discuss strategic priorities for the new cycle in Fujairah. The best athletes and officials of 2025 in the United Arab Emirates will also be honored.
The World Taekwondo Junior Championships and General Assembly will be held in Tashkent, where we will follow the rapidly rising trajectories of aspiring athletes. From Tashkent, they will aim for the stars at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series will return to Rome, Muju, and Paris. The Grand Prix Final in Astana will be a highlight, where we will honor the best athletes and coaches of 2026. The Taekwondo Poomsae World Championships in Chuncheon promise to be spectacular and break records.
With so many events ahead, I paused to reflect on the journey I have taken since the inaugural year of my presidency. As I embark on my final term, I hope that we can "Be Reborn, Together" with World Taekwondo: no matter how much we have improved, there is always room to start afresh and be better. Together.
Thank you, my dear colleagues and friends.
