{"id":16,"date":"2025-09-21T19:48:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T19:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wsmkf.org\/wordpress1\/?post_type=yada_wiki&p=16"},"modified":"2025-10-11T17:32:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T22:32:45","slug":"founder-byung-jick-ro","status":"publish","type":"yada_wiki","link":"https:\/\/wsmkf.org\/smk_wiki\/wiki\/founder-byung-jick-ro\/","title":{"rendered":"Byung Jick Ro"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founder of the World Song Moo Kwan Federation<\/p>\n

Student of Gichin Funakoshi<\/p>\n

School: Shotokan<\/p>\n

{image}<\/p>\n

Bio:<\/p>\n

** Please note that this is truly just a brief resume. We are looking for more history (stories, honors, etc) from everyone who had trained with Founder Ro! Please forward information to <\/span>gmrobertfrankovich@wsmkf.org<\/span><\/a> ** <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

— A Brief History<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

7\/1919: Born July 3, 1919, 547 Ja nam-dong, Gaeseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3\/1936: Moved to University of Japan to study<\/span><\/span><\/span>12\/1936: Entered Shotokan Karate school under SGM Gichin Funakoshi (Father of modern Karate)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11\/1943: Promoted as 4th dan black belt (One of the highest rank in Karate at that time in Japan)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3\/20\/1944: Returned to Korea, Opened first Gongsoodo\/Taekwondo school in Korea\/the world in GaeSeong city, GyeongGi province. Songmookwan 2nd president – Young Sup Lee, 3rd President -Won Sik Kang (Former Kukkiwon president)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

8\/15\/1945: Korean Independence from Japanese occupation(36yrs.) – 2nd World War Ends (Japanese surrendered unconditionally)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11\/1946-1\/1949: Head instructor- Kaesong Police station and Police academy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

6\/25\/1950-1953: Korean War<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1953: Founded 1st. Korean Gongsoodo\/Taekwondo Association in Busan during Korean War.<\/span><\/span><\/span>*Served as Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Rank Promotion Committee<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9\/1955-8\/1963: Founded\/Head instructor for Seoul National Univ. TKD Club (Boum Ho Chung – President)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9\/1957-5\/1961: Founded\/Head instructor for DanKuk Univ. TKD Club (Choong Sik Chang – President)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9\/1962-12\/1969: Chairman of Rank Promotion Committee of the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1966: President, Korea Taekwondo Association (current KTA) \/ Head delegate for Korea TKD team for competition in Japan \/ Established 1st. Presidential Flag (Chung Hee Park) Championships.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

5\/1967: Official Visit to Vietnam war, Korean Military invited by General Commander Myung Shin Chae with General Hong Hee Choi (Ambassador for Malaysia)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9\/2014: Received Korean Presidential Medal for his achievement in development of modern Taekwondo from 1944.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

09\/09\/2015 – Returned to Mother Nature in peace at age 96 in Minneapolis, MN at his home.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Students of Founder Ro<\/p>\n


  Byung Jick Ro
  <\/div>
Byung Hoon Park<\/a><\/div>
Byung Yul Lee<\/a><\/div>
Chang Jin Kang<\/a><\/div>
Dae Hyon Kim<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Hee Sang Ro<\/a><\/div>
Ho Buom Kim<\/a><\/div>
Hyung Chul Kim<\/a><\/div>
Il Joo Kim<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Il Kwon Kim<\/a><\/div>
Jin Il\tChang<\/a><\/div>
Joon Pyo Choi<\/a><\/div>
Jun Seon Hyon<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Kwan Soo Chung<\/a><\/div>
Kwang Ho Kim<\/a><\/div>
Moo Myung Yun<\/a><\/div>
Richard Jones<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Soo Nam Seo<\/a><\/div>
Suk Hun Choi<\/a><\/div>
Sun Do Chung<\/a><\/div>
Sung Yong Lee<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Sung Yong Yu<\/a><\/div>
Tae Ryang Chang<\/a><\/div>
Yong Kil Kim<\/a><\/div>
Yong Kyu Yu<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Yong Sup Shin<\/a><\/div>
Young Pyo Choi<\/a><\/div>
<\/div>
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