Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea's Dong-Myung Unit, which is leading a 'Taekwondo boom' in Lebanon, has reached a new landmark achievement.  

On May 14th, a spokesperson for the Unit said, “The number of trainees in our 'Taekwondo class,' which has been at the forefront of the spread of Taekwondo in Lebanon, has recently reached 1000."

The Dong-Myung Unit opened a Taekwondo class in 2007 with the aim of teaching Lebanon about Republic of Korea and showing the excellence of Republic of Korea's military force to the neighboring countries where they were dispatched. 

Marking its 11th anniversary, the Taekwondo class has been subdivided into two classes; a master class for children and ordinary people and the west brigade's Taekwondo class for United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) soldiers. Since last year, trainees in the master class that opened in 2016 have been receiving specialist education in Republic of Korea under the support of the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters). 

The Dong-Myung Unit is the only unit among 41 countries belonging to UNIFIL that is spreading its own martial art abroad. Significantly, the west brigade's Taekwondo class are going along very systematically this year, which was suggested by the Dong-Myung Unit. Rudolph Sganga, general of the west brigade and brigadier general of the Italian force, also registered the west brigade's Taekwondo class and received an honorary five-degree black belt last April.

The Dong-Myung Unit will continue to work to introduce the excellence of Republic of Korean military forces to the world through Taekwondo. "We will strive to enhance Republic of Korea's status in the Middle East by continuously expanding and developing the achievement of Taekwondo class," said Jin Cheol-ho, a colonel and deputy commander of the Dong-Myung Unit.

By Su-Yeol, Maeng <guns13@dema.mil.kr >

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