WTF President Chungwon Choue poses with members of the Taekwondo Peace Corps and the WTF Demonstration Team in a launch ceremony at the Suwon campus of Kyung Hee University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on July 5, 2008.

The World Taekwondo Federation launched the Taekwondo Peace Corps and the WTF Demonstration Team in a ceremony in Suwon, Korea, on July 5, 2008.

The launch ceremony, which was held at the Suwon campus of Kyung Hee University, drew 27 members of the Taekwondo Peace Corps and 61 members of the WTF Demonstration Team, as well as dozens of dignitaries.

The 27 "2008 Summer" Taekwondo Peace Corps members will be dispatched to five countries in seven teams for a period of one month starting in the middle of this month. The five countries are Russia, Paraguay, India, Pakistan and China. Two teams will be sent to China and India.

The WTF plans to expand the number of Taekwondo Peace Corps members and the countries to which members will be sent starting this winter vacation.

The Taekwondo Peace Corps is promoted by the WTF and organized by GCS International, a United Nations-recognized non-governmental organization with a special consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social council. GCS stands for goodwill, cooperation and service. WTF President Chungwon Choue heads the two international organizations.

"Through the Taekwondo Peace Corps, the WTF can ultimately contribute to the promotion of world peace," said WTF President Choue in his welcome speech at the launch ceremony. "After consultations with our 188 member nations, we will dispatch Peace Corps members to taekwondo-developing countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East."

Dr. Choue said, "If the Taekwondo Peace Corps project is carried out successfully, then we will expand the program to involve all Olympic sports into a 'Sport Peace Corps' program, in cooperation with the United Nations and the IOC."

Shortly after taking the helm of the WTF in June 2004, WTF President Choue promised to launch the Taekwondo Peace Corps, thus helping enhance the image of taekwondo and the WTF in the international sports community.

The Taekwondo Peace Corps idea was first raised by Dr. Choue at an international workshop on sports and peace in Leuven, Belgium on Sept. 21, 2007, and then at an international forum on peace and sport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Dec. 6, 2007.