Won-kuk Lee

[1][2][3][4][5] Lee Won-kuk was born on April 13, 1907, in Hanseong (now Seoul, the capital of South Korea), which was occupied by Japan and whose regimen regulated all of the population’s activities on the Korean Peninsula.

It was a custom for affluent Korean families to send their children to study in Japan, where they would learn Japanese, obtain the best education possible, get to know the right contacts and improve their chances of success in a Japanese-dominated society.

After graduation, he toured Japan, visiting Okinawa, and many other cities in China including centers where Chuan Fa (kung-fu) was taught.

So he returned to Korea to teach martial arts in his homeland using his connections with high-ranking Japanese officials, who allowed him to gain employment at the ministry of transportation.

Lee started teaching Tang Soo Do (which in Korean means "way of the Chinese hand") at the Yung Shin school gym in Okchun-dong, Seodaemun District, in Seoul.

After the Korean Peninsula was liberated on August 15, 1945, a wave of political and social unrest forced Lee to move his school to the Sichungyo church in the Kyunji-dong section of Seoul.

In 1947, President Syngman Rhee asked for all schools of martial arts to join the government party, offering Lee the position of internal affairs minister.

The peak of Chung Do Kwan led to the opening of schools ran by Lee's students or through their technical support and his promotional impulses.

Nam Tae-hi under the direction of Choi Hong-hi (Ohdokwan), Lee Yong-woo (Jungdokwan), Ko Jae-chun (Chungryongkwan), Kang Suh-chang (Kukmookwan) schools were created and developed.

The branch of the school ran by Woon headquartered in Seoul and whose associates are affiliated with World Taekwondo, which is governed by Kukkiwon lineaments, is what is known as Olympic tae kwon do today.

A second branch of the school that is less known was developed by Duk Sung-son, who followed his teachings independently in an orthodox or traditional way, without belonging to a federated sport association and keeping the same training system, forms, uniforms and philosophies taught originally by Lee.