Taekwondo is a Korean martial art renowned for its use of various kicking techniques, including spinning kicks. There are two forms of taekwondo competitions in the Olympics: kyorugi (sparring) and poomsae (pattern of defence-and-attack motions). In sparring, practitioners wear protective gear on the head and torso and strike each other’s trunk and head with their feet and hands. They are not allowed to use any part above the ankle bone for kicks. Punching techniques must come out below the shoulder line and above the waist. Contestants are divided into different groups depending on their weight and gender.

There are many historical accounts about taekwondo. The official, popular narrative established by taekwondo communities like World Taekwondo and the Korea Taekwondo Association claim that the art originated in ancient times and developed through the Three Kingdoms era of Korea between ad 209 and 407. Historical records have been found in the old tombs and murals dating from the era. Burdick (2001: 292) argues that most of the historical claims based on murals and tombs are exaggerated, noting that the depictions in the murals “seem to be wrestling rather than striking”. 

Many modern academic findings (Capener 1995; Madis 2003; Moenig & Kim 2016) suggest that taekwondo has its roots in Japanese karate, influenced by the Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. During the occupation, many elements of Japanese culture and martial arts such as judo, kendo and karate were introduced in Japanese-controlled schools, and often by Korean students who studied in Japan and Koreans who worked with the Japanese army and police (Burdick 2001).

In the aftermath of the Korean War (1950–1953), the country “became more nationalistic and there was increasing pressure to develop a Korean form of karate, rather than continue to practise in the Japanese way” (Burdick 2001: 298). General Choi Hong-hi named a Korean form of karate “taekwondo” and led the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA), established in 1959. He founded the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) in 1966 to spread taekwondo all over the world. Due to political conflicts with President Park Chung-hee, General Choi moved to Canada with the ITF. KTA members, against his feelings, stayed in Korea and founded the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in 1973. WTF changed its name to World Taekwondo in 2017.

Since its foundation in 1955, taekwondo has gained much support and popularity as a national martial art. It became an official part of primary- and middle-school curricula in the 1970s. The first World Taekwondo Championships were held in 1973, and WTF was recognised by the IOC in 1980. Taekwondo was designated as a demonstration sport for the first time at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, before becoming an official Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney Games. It is speculated that there are now more than eighty million taekwondo practitioners around the world (KISS 2018).