World Taekwondo President Choue Chung‑won presents an honorary 10th dan certificate and dobok to Pope Leo during Wednesday’s General Audience at the Vatican. Courtesy of Vatican Press
VATICAN CITY — World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won presented an honorary 10th dan certificate and dobok to Pope Leo during Wednesday’s General Audience, continuing the sport federation’s long-standing ties with the Vatican.
Choue was accompanied by seven young refugee athletes from the Azraq and Za’atari camps in Jordan: Laour Fahed Alahmad, Marwa Ealawi Almahmoud Alshaeikh, Loujain Wesam Alrefaei, Sereen Mohammad Ghuzlan, Huda Khaled Alkhaled, Baraa Mohammad Aldamad and Remas Yaser Haji Ramadan. The refugees, all Syrian nationals, are between 7 and 14 years old.
Syrian refugee taekwondo athletes from the Azraq and Za’atari camps in Jordan attend the General Audience at the Vatican, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The meeting was Choue’s first with Pope Leo XIV since the pontiff’s election in May last year, and underscored World Taekwondo’s cooperation with the Vatican on sport development and humanitarian initiatives. The 10th dan is the highest rank in taekwondo; Choue praised the pope’s support for humanitarian causes and said the award reflected shared values of peace and human dignity.
As Choue presented the dobok, he joked about the pope’s well-known enthusiasm for tennis and suggested he might wear the uniform on the court, a comment that drew laughter. Pope Leo XIV praised World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation for their work with refugees and said meeting the children from the camps was a joy.
Pope Leo XIV meets a disabled boy from Ukraine during the General Audience at the Vatican, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Choue said it was an honor to mark the 10th anniversary of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation at the General Audience and to highlight the foundation’s efforts to empower refugees and displaced people.
The reception took place ahead of the World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix today and the World Taekwondo Grand Prix, scheduled for Friday to Sunday at Foro Italico in Rome. The Kim & Liù Tournament will be held concurrently, giving the seven young refugee athletes a chance to compete at one of Europe’s largest youth taekwondo events.
Pope Leo waves to pilgrims from atop the Popemobile during the General Audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Source: Korea Times News
