World Taekwondo turns 50 in 2023 ©Getty Images

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue has called on the sport's community to celebrate 50 years of World Taekwondo in 2023.

In a letter marking the 49th anniversary of World Taekwondo's founding sent last Saturday (May 28), Choue asked national bodies, continental unions and World Taekwondo Council members to mark the organisation's golden jubilee, with World Taekwondo now having entered the 50th year of its existence.

Choue also thanked stakeholders for their contributions to taekwondo, claiming the sport is a "united family of Taekwondoin" and this separates it from other pursuits. 

"We are able to mark this joyous occasion today because of the contributions of those before us, and from every single one of you," Choue wrote.

"I thank you for your lifelong dedication to our beloved Taekwondo. 

"Your passion and just as importantly, your respect for one another and solidarity as a united family of Taekwondoin are what separates us from other organisations and sports. 

"We are One World One Sport Taekwondo.

"Indeed, we at World Taekwondo stand proud to be in the Olympic Games, in the Paralympic Games, in numerous multi-sport Games, and crucially, we contribute to humankind through humanitarian and social development programmes.

"At World Taekwondo, Peace is more Precious than Triumph."

Chungwon Choue has been World Taekwondo President since 2004 ©World Taekwondo
Chungwon Choue has been World Taekwondo President since 2004 ©World Taekwondo

Azerbaijan's capital Baku is due to stage the World Taekwondo Championships in 2023.

Celebrations of the organisation's 50th anniversary are planned there, but Choue invited readers of the letter to celebrate the milestone "with joy, pride, and hope" at any taekwondo events in 2023.

The South Korean official concluded: "As we appreciate where we are and those who helped get us here, let’s look forward to many more founding anniversaries of World Taekwondo together! 

"Onward and beyond!"

Choue has led World Taekwondo since 2004 and is only the second permanent President in the organisation's history.

Taekwondo made its debut as a full medal sport at the Olympics at Sydney 2000.

It made its Paralympic bow at Tokyo 2020.

Twenty-one National Olympic Committees won the 32 Olympic taekwondo medals on offer a Tokyo 2020, while the 24 Paralympic medals were split between 16 countries plus the Russian Paralympic Committee.