On August 1, Prof. Lee Kyu-hyung (Dept. of Taekwondo) was invited to the 26th World Taekwondo Championship, and was awarded a presidential citation from President Barack Obama. Michael Mogun, the mayor of Los Angeles City, awarded the prize instead of the president. This is Prof. Lee’s third presidential citation. The first was awarded in 1995 and the second in 2006.

Prof. Lee has been recognized for his contribution to training international referees and to exchange between Korea and America, for example, his lecture tour in America in 2002. In addition, his holding forty seminars in cities like Washington, New York, and Los Angeles since 1980 has gotten credit for the development of taekwondo in the USA.

Prof. Lee was awarded the World Peace Prize Award from the Universal Peacemakers Foundation (UPF) in 2004 and the Girin Medal from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2008. He said, “I feel so proud in that taekwondo has spread and also that taekwondo has been acknowledged by other countries’ people. I hope my winning this award can give those who want to become the future leaders of taekwondo the enthusiasm for the mission.”