President-elect Donald Trump (left) and IKF President Lee Dong-seop take a Taekwondo stance at Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in Nov. 2021. /Courtesy of IKF

Lee Dong-seop, president of the National Taekwondo Headquarters, who served as a member of the 20th National Assembly, will attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

The National Taekwondo Headquarters noted on the 13th that "President Lee has been invited to the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Trump, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on the 20th local time." After the ceremony, President Lee plans to meet with U.S. senators and representatives who have contributed to the development and promotion of taekwondo to award honorary black belts and discuss current issues.

President Lee has a connection from visiting the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2021, where he awarded President-elect Trump an honorary 9th dan black belt and presented him with a taekwondo uniform. In a media interview last November, President Lee explained the background of awarding the honorary 9th dan to President-elect Trump, stating, "Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, is a taekwondo black belt, and former Virginia Taekwondo Association President Choi Eung-gil played an intermediary role."

He recalled, "At that time, President-elect Trump wore the uniform we prepared and received the honorary 9th dan, and I remember him giving a thumbs up, saying that taekwondo is the best among martial sports." He added, "President-elect Trump promised that if he succeeds in re-election, he will wear the uniform and speak in Congress. I hope the government will actively support the development of taekwondo in the future."

During this visit to the U.S., President Lee is also expected to host a signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with U.S. branch leaders and a meeting to discuss the projects planned for 2025. The National Taekwondo Headquarters has appointed eight U.S. branch leaders as part of a project to establish an overseas network, which it is now promoting to expand.