ETU President Sakis Pragalos (right) has welcomed the addition of Michael Lehner (right) to the Council ©ETU

The European Taekwondo Union (ETU) has appointed Dr. Michael Lehner as a new member of its Council.

The position became available after Park Soo Nam, the South Korean born President of the German Taekwondo Federation, became an Honorary President of the ETU in April.

Lehner is a lawyer and is currently a partner at Bornheim and Partner Rechtsanwälte.

He graduated in Heidelberg and previously held a teaching position at the University of Montpellier in France.

He is also a member of the International Sport Lawyers Association, the Sports Law Working Group of the German Bar Association and the French Lawyers Association.

"I am honoured and proud to be part of ETU," Lehner said.

A place on the Council was made available when Park Soo Nam became Honorary President ©DTU
A place on the Council was made available when Park Soo Nam became Honorary President ©DTU

"I am full of enthusiasm to start working under my new duties."

ETU President Sakis Pragalos welcomed the new member of the Council.

"Dr. Michael Lehner holds a PhD in international labour and he is a well-recognised lawyer specialised in sports law," he said. 

"I strongly believe that his contribution to ETU will be priceless."

Park, the 68-year-old who previously sat on the ruling Councils of both the ETU and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), is a former "special assistant" of ex-WTF chief and International Olympic Committee vice-president Un-Yong Kim.

He stood unsuccessfully against Chungwon Choue for the WTF Presidency in 2009.