"nasty korean politics". To me, it is just politics, and adding nasty and korean, doesn't do anything.
I am sure that whenever 2 or more get together in most relationships there is the normal "politics" that such relationships entail, often needed to foster connections & get things done. At times these politics do become "nasty". In the discussion of TKD's history, how it developed & who developed it, several levels & types of politics play a part. The label "Korean" is added as these politics not only took place in Korea, by Koreans, among Koreans & towards Koreans, but they at times had actual Korean national, international & inter/intra-Korean geo-politics involved.
I think that the Koreans that had their lives affected negatively, in some cases ruined, by being blacklisted as communists or traitors, would indeed feel that it was nasty.
Also, General Choi's situation and Dr. Kim's situation are different. General Choi was a hinderance and obstacle to the process. He directly or indirectly caused the downfall of two Kwan Jang, GM Son and GM Hwang. He needed to go in order for Taekwondo to move forward. But Dr. Kim, he was doing what he was supposed to be doing and got caught up in between two different political parties. He was like a President Bush appointee who was taken down by President Obama, which hurt the United States overall, which the Obama Administration later recognized.
Of course the situations were different. But the point still remains unanswered or unaddressed that regardless of their respective situations, nasty Korean politics played a part in attacking them. That is my point!
Gen Choi was a hindrance to the progress of Kukki TKD. I have always conceded that. While there were people who wanted to pay back Gen Choi for how he abused them when he was in power under the puppet govt & people who resented his poor leadership style & did not like his type of TKD or his focus & direction, the source of his political troubles was the fact that he became a leading outspoken critic of the dictatorships, similar to GM Lee Won Kuk getting screwed over because of politics. The more that Gen Choi raised his voice of opposition, the more the screws were put to him & his private ITF TKD organization, as many like to refer to it as. There is no doubt that Gen Choi was a political person & that he used TKD & the ITF to further his political agende. That came with a price & part of that price was an all out war conducted by the dictators through the KCIA, which also had TKD people in south Korea trying to minimize his role, accomplishments etc.
So while south Korea may not recognize the ITF or didn't during the military dictators regimes, many around the world do. People around the world need also to know what the ITF TKD has done & who were the ones that did it, just as Kukki TKD should do with what they have done & who got it done. It is sad that in south Korea today, the ITF Dojangs have that communist stigma, with at least 1 being forced to move to the international area, as Koreans will not join.
So Chang Hon TKD & Kukki TKD have shared roots. But then the history has to be told in at least 2 stories, Chag Hon & Kukki. We have to stop the myths & more importantly the attacks on the other side. We know that they are different, just keep the stories seperate, but keep them honest
Gen Choi broke laws in south Korea when he went to north Korea starting in 1979.
Dr Kim broke laws in south Korea when he did things against the law, at the behest of a corrupt govt.
Gen Choi could have chose an honorable way according to many, when it came to north Korea. He may use the excuse he did it for TKD & Korea.
Dr Kim could have chose an honorable way according to many, when he was asked to break laws. He may use the excuse he did it for TKD & Korea.
I guess each of us is free to decide on their honor, but there is still no getting around what they have done for their TKD & Korea!
