Regular Promotion Examinations to Be Held for Students of Unregistered Dojangs by Taekwondo Association

Regularization of Evaluation and Prior Notice of Schedule for Dojang Trainees Not Registered with the Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Jusangdon Joo] The Fair Trade Commission announced on the 31st that it has agreed to improve the existing practice in which only the Korea Taekwondo Association and taekwondo dojangs affiliated with the association could conduct promotion and dan (black belt) examinations.

During the investigation into the Seoul Taekwondo Association's (Seotaehyeop) unfair refusal to register members, the Fair Trade Commission confirmed that taekwondo dojangs must be registered with city or provincial associations such as Seotaehyeop to take promotion and dan examinations, and discussed improvement measures with the Korea Taekwondo Association.

The promotion and dan ranks in Taekwondo confer authority and honor on practitioners' skills, making promotion and dan examinations key training goals for taekwondo practitioners. Therefore, dojangs unable to conduct these examinations face significant difficulties in attracting trainees and operating their businesses.

Currently, the Korea Taekwondo Association has regulations and procedures that, in principle, allow all taekwondo dojangs to conduct promotion and dan examinations. The types of examinations are divided into 'regular examinations' for registered dojangs and 'irregular examinations' for others, with unregistered dojangs only eligible for irregular examinations.

However, irregular examinations for unregistered dojangs have rarely been held, making it virtually impossible for trainees at unregistered dojangs to take the exams. In fact, while regular examinations for registered dojangs have been held several times monthly, irregular examinations for unregistered dojangs were held only once in the past five years (on December 3, 2016).

Accordingly, the Korea Taekwondo Association has decided to regularize all examinations so that trainees at unregistered dojangs can also take promotion and dan examinations. City and provincial associations will regularly hold irregular examinations for unregistered dojangs as well as regular examinations. Additionally, the schedules for both regular and irregular examinations will be publicly disclosed in an integrated manner in advance to enhance predictability for frontline dojangs.

A Fair Trade Commission official stated, "With this institutional improvement, autonomy in association membership will be enhanced, competition between registered and unregistered dojangs will be promoted, and services for trainees and parents will be improved, thereby increasing consumer welfare."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.