General Choi Hong Hi died on June 15, 2002, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The (North) Korean Central Broadcasting network announced his death on June 17, 2002. The North Korean government buried General Choi in a State Funeral. His last wish was to die and be buried in Korea. According to a source close to General Choi, he did not think of Korea as two countries, but as one, his homeland. The General was 83 at the time of his death.
The world will remember General Choi as a patriot, a soldier, a visionary, and the “Father of Taekwon-Do.” His contribution to humanity will not be measured in monetary terms but in the values, morals and philosophy his martial art has instilled in the millions of its practitioners throughout the world. When asked if he ever regreted dedicating his life to Taekwon-Do, he stated: “I taught Taekwon-Do without regard to race, religion, nationality, or ideology. In this respect, I am the happiest man in the world, and I am proud to have left my footprint in this world.” His place in history is secure as he will live in the hearts and minds of all those who love Taekwon-Do.
General Choi is survived by his wife, son, Master Choi Jung Hwa, two daughters, and his grandchildren, all of Canada, and a sister-in-law and nephews in Pyongyang, North Korea. (At press time) A private memorial service is scheduled for August 17, 2002, in Canada.

• 1918 Born November 9, 1918 (Western calendar, December 22, 1918) in Kilju, in the rugged and harsh area of Hwa Dae, Myong Chun District , NK
• 1930 Expelled from school for agitating against Japanese authorities who controlled Korea. This was the beginning of General Choi’s involvement with the Kwang Ju Students’ Independence Movement. Studied calligraphy with Han Il Dong and learned Tae Kyon
• 1937 Sent to Japan to continue education
• 1938 Earned first dan black belt in Karate. Taught at the Tokyo YMCA
• 1943 Conscripted unwillingly into the Japanese Army to fight in WWII
• 1944 Implicated as planner of the Korean Students’ Independence Movement. Placed on trial and found guilty. Sentenced to seven years in prison; later sentence changed to death for the crime of treason.
• 1945 Three days before his execution, Korea liberated and he was released. During his eight months of incarceration, he began to develop new techniques and train fellow prisoners in his evolving art.
• 1946 One of the 110 Koreans who formed the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) Rank: Second Lieutenant
• 1947 Promoted to Captain and then Major in the ROK
• 1948 Posted to ROC Head of Logistics and became martial art instructor for US Military Police, Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
• 1949 Promoted to full Colonel. First visit to U. S. and introduced his martial art to America at Fort Riley
• 1950 Promoted to Brigadier General
• 1953 Wrote first authoritative book on military intelligence in Korea. Organized 29th “FIST” Infantry spearheading TKD in the military
• 1954 Established the Oh Do Kwan with the help of Nam Tae Hi. Developed his own martial art system, Promoted to Major General
• 1955 Taekwon-Do named and recognized as a formal Korean martial art
• 1959 Toured the Far East with TKD demonstration team to introduce his art, Elected President of the newly formed Korea Taekwon-Do Association, Published first TKD text
• 1960 Took military course in Texas. While there, he visited Jhoon Rhee’s Karate Club where he convinced the instructor and students to use the term Taekwon-Do. Marked beginning of TKD in the U.S. Assigned to command largest ROC Training Ctr. in Korea and newly assigned 6th Army Corps
• 1961 TKD introduced into the curriculum at West Point. Promoted TKD as a compulsory subject for all S. K. armed and police forces
• 1962 Appointed Ambassador to Malaysia, TKD Demonstration at the United Nations in New York City. TKD grows in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
• 1963 TKD introduced to Vietnam when Gen. Choi demonstrates perfected forms to instructors. The new forms eliminated the remaining vestiges of Karate in the Art. Re-elected President of Korea Taekwon-Do Association
• 1965 Ambassador Choi, retired two-star general, appointed by Korean Government to lead a goodwill mission to West Germany, Italy, Turkey, United Arab Republic, Malaysia, and Singapore and to introduce TKD as the national martial art of Korea.
• 1966 International Taekwon-Do Federation formed March 22. Charter members included Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, Turkey, Italy, the Arab Republic, the United States, and Korea.
• 1967 Received First Class Distinguished Service Medal from Vietnam and helped form Korea-Vietnam TKD Foundation. Visited Hong Kong and the U. S.
• 1968 Attended Sports Military Symposium in Paris as Korean delegate. Also visited Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, India
• 1969 Toured Southeast Asia for preparation of First Asian TKD Tournaments. Toured 29 countries to spread TKD and collect material for his book
• 1970 Toured 20 countries throughout SE Asia, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.
• 1971 Visited Malaysia and selected TKD instructors to be sent to train Rep. Of Iran Armed Forces
• 1972 World tour to introduce TKD to heads of states of Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Guatemala. Moved ITF headquarters to Toronto, Canada, to facilitate the spread of TKD to Eastern Europe
• 1973 Led ITF Demonstration Team to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Far East (more than 100,000 attended in Egypt alone).
• 1974 First World TKD Championships in Montreal. Led top instructor demo team to Jamaica, Curacao, Costa Rica, Columbia, Venezuela, and Surinam.
• 1975 TKD demonstrated at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Visits Greece and Sweden to conduct seminars
• 1976 Visits Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Europe to conduct seminars. Visits Holland to open the First European TKD Championships
• 1977 Visits Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden and Denmark to help form national organizations
• 1978 Visits Malaysia, Pakistan, Kenya and South Africa, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the U. S.
• 1979 Visits Sweden, Denmark, West Germany, France, Greenland and Argentina
• 1980 First visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to introduce Taekwon-Do to North Korea
• 1981 Visits Australia and Japan. Presents a united North and South Korean Taekwon-Do team in Vienna, Austria
• 1982 Taekwon-Do dojang opens in Japan, a monumental point in the General’s life. Visits Greenland, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Finland, and Italy
• 1983 Visits Argentina, Columbia, Panama, Honduras, the United States, Yugoslavia, and Italy
• 1984 Visits Scotland, North Korea and Hungary where the first large-scale TKD competition was held in a socialist country
• 1985 Publication of Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do by General Choi. Visits Puerto Rico and Norway. 30th Anniversary of the beginning of TKD
• 1986 Visits China. Visit inspires Chinese to study TKD
• 1987 Visits Greece with 5th Worlds.
• 1988 World Championships televised via satellite throughout Europe. TKD introduced to Russia
• 1989 Published condensed version of TKD Encyclopedia. Visits China to help organize national TKD association
• 1990 Visits Uzbekistan, Russia, Vietnam, and China
• 1991 Lectures at Lenin Central University in Russia. TKD adopted as a four-year credit course at the University
• 1992 Received honorary Doctorate from Lenin Central Unv. Encyclopedia Britannica references General Choi as the “principal founder of Taekwon-Do.
• 1993 Visits Moscow and Uzbekistan
• 1994 Visits the Ukraine
• 1995 Visits Tajikistan and meets with instructors from Tajikistan, Kirghizstan, Moldova, and Russia
• 1996 First Conference of TKD in Toronto
• 1997 Visits Russia for Tenth Worlds
• 1998 Visits Cambodia to teach TKD courses in Phnom Pen.
• 1999- Continued to promote TKD throughout the world through seminars, instructor courses and promotions.
• 2002 Worked with DPR Korea to create a TKD sanctuary for all practitioners of TKD to visit and a place to train (ground broken March 24, 2002)