The 18th Taekwondo Peace Corps was launched in S. Korea.

A ceremony to kick off the 18th short-term Taekwondo Peace Corps was held at Yongin University in Yongin City in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province on Dec. 30, 2016.

Members of the corps, who had passed through strict selection procedures, received theory and practical education on Taekwondo, the Korean martial art, and basic grounding necessary for overseas voluntary activities during the eight-day training period.

The 66-member corps will be dispatched to 19 countries, including East Timor and Russia, and engage in such volunteer activities as taekwondo training, education on the Korean language and spread of hallyu, the Korean wave.

Shin Dong-Yoon, secretary general of World Taekwondo Peace Corps, told the members, "You are private diplomats who have a role of heralding not only Taekwondo but also Korea's proud culture to the global stage."

"Accordingly, I hope you will actively engage in volunteer activities with responsibility and sense of duty," he added.