Seo Bok-seob (also spelled Suh Bok-sup; Korean: 서복섭) was the first student to study under hapkido founder Choi Yong-sool, with whom he founded the art's first school, the Daehan Hapki Yu Kwon Sool dojang in Daegu, Korea.

Moving to Seoul he later became a professor of East Asian medicine and worked for a time at Kyung Hee University.

[5][6][7] Coming from a wealthy and politically active family, he was given an excellent education and was a graduate of the prestigious Korea University.

[8] Seo's father was a congressman and both the founder, Choi Yong-sool, and other hapkido practitioners, such as Won Kwang-Wha (Korean: 원광화) were employed to work as bodyguards for the politician.

[9] Seo claims that he and Choi agreed to shorten the name of the art from 'hapki yu kwon sool' to 'hapkido' in 1959.