Taekwondo Peace Corps (TPC) was launched by the World Taekwondo Federation on 5 July 2008 in Suwon, South Korea on July 5, 2008. Since then, taekwondo coaches had been dispatched to various countries annually to promote peace through taekwondo.
To date, Singapore had hosted a total of 4 groups of TPC members over 4 consecutive years.
Last year, one of them, Choi Daeho was in the news when he demonstrated the spirit of taekwondo by giving his slippers to an old lady, on a bus, without any footwear. His kind act was covered in various print and broadcast media.
Daeho proved to be as kind as he was skilful as a coach. In view of his coaching ability, the Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) brought him back to guide its elite kyorugi athletes.
This year five members were sent to Singapore. Only two of them – Lee Sung Jae and Jang Hee Jae – would be attached to the national squad as sparring partners for about a month and a half.
All five of them paid a courtesy visit to the STF Secretariat on 7 January 2014. They were briefed on the status of taekwondo in Singapore and were evidently impressed with the large following and the profile of the organization.