Chapter 19: Exportation

In 1959, Choi Hong Hi toured the Far East with his top nineteen black belts. The tour was a major success, astounding spectators with Taekwondo's kicking techniques. Many of these same black belts later went on to spread Taekwondo to the world. Nam Tae Hi became President of the Asia Taekwondo Federation. Colonel Baek Joon Gi became the 2nd Chief of Taekwondo Instructors in Vietnam and Colonel Ko Jae Chun later became the 5th Chief. Han Cha Kyo became the Head Instructor in Singapore and Cha Soo Young became an international instructor in Washington D.C.

In 1960, General Choi attended the Modern Weapons Familiarization Course in Texas, visited Jhoon Rhee's Karate Club in San Antonio, and convinced the students to use the name Taekwondo instead of karate. This meant that Rhee became the first Taekwondo instructor in America and it marked the beginning of Taekwondo dominance in the United States. Choi returned to Korea as the Director of Intelligence of the Korean Army and he later assumed command of the Combat Armed Command with command of the infantry, artillery, armored, signal, and aviation schools. In 1961, Taekwondo was introduced to West Point, the United States Army military academy, and it was made a compulsory subject for the entire South Korean armed and police forces.

The Korean Ambassador to Vietnam, General Choi Duk Shin, was instrumental in helping promote Taekwondo in Vietnam, which was in a death struggle with the communists. In 1962, South Vietnamese troops requested to be taught Taekwondo. Tae Hi Nam, Seung Kyu Kim, Lee Kwon Young, and another instructor were sent by the oh-do-kwan to teach fifty soldiers from various branches of the Vietnamese Armed Forces. Two of the instructors returned to Korea after six months, but Tae Hi Nam and Seung Kyu Kim stayed a full year, returning on Dec. 24, 1963. In that same year, Ambassador Choi Duk Shin made a trip to Vietnam to teach advanced Taekwondo patterns to a group of instructors headed by Lt. Col. Park Joon Gi.