Chapter 15: Modern Taekwondo

Brutally put down, the Kwangju uprising resulted in Chun Doo Hwan assuming the presidency and beginning the Fifth Republic in October 1980. Chun lifted martial law the following January and was elected president a month later. For the next four years, he ran a repressive regime until he nominated his successor Roh Tae Woo, a former General of the 1979 coup. Pressure from human rights activists, the United States, and the coming 1988 Olympics led to an election in December 1987 that resulted in Roh being elected President again.

From World War II until the early 1960's, Taekwondo consisted mostly of Japanese terminology and techniques. This was a problem for those asserting that Taekwondo had it roots in Korean history. The next generation of instructors solved this quandary by developing a method of competition that was radically different from Japanese competition. This made Taekwondo unique and different than Japanese karate. These changes were opposed by first generation Taekwondo instructors, such as Choi Hong Hi. 

During the Korean occupation years, some early martial arts masters who had influence on the development of Taekwondo began to hone their skills.