The governing body said it was "part of its ongoing commitment to ensure taekwondo is as exciting and engaging as possible for its global fan base".

Among the changes rubber-stamped at the Sol Azur Beach Hotel was an overhaul of the Golden Point Round which is necessitated if two fighters are level after the regulation three rounds.

It will now be known as the Golden Round and two points will be required for victory as opposed to just one.

If the Golden Round does not produce a result, the winner will be declared in the following order: who succeeded in making a body punch, who made the most registered hits, the athlete who won the most rounds in the previous three rounds, and finally the athlete who had fewer gamjeoms - a prohibited attack - in the four rounds.

Other changes see a valid turning kick to the head now worth five points as World Taekwondo bid to encourage crowd-pleasing moves. 

A turning kick to the trunk protector will see athletes score four.

Gamjeoms will only be issued if an athlete has one leg outside of the boundary line, while referees will now only wait for five seconds before issuing a gamjeom to athletes who are not engaging in the fight.

Using an alternative foot technique will now result in a gamjeom.

World Taekwondo has also opted to introduce weigh-ins for randomly selected athletes two hours before competition.

Athletes must be within five per cent of their bodyweight category to be approved.

This new weigh-in will take place in addition to the universal weigh-in the day before a competition, and is designed to prevent athletes from dangerously losing weight to fit into a category.

The World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Italian capital Rome on June 1, the season opener, will be the first event to adopt the new rules.

"Today's General Assembly was very successful," said World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue.

"It is always a pleasure to meet with our Member National Associations (MNAs) from around the world and look back at the great work we have achieved and look forward to the ways we can improve our sport. 

"This year will be focused on development and youth. 

"We will focus on helping our MNAs to grow taekwondo at grassroots level and enhance their elite level athletes. 

"Appealing to youth is a priority as if we do not attract the young generation to practice taekwondo, there will be no future for taekwondo. 

"The rule changes we have approved today are an important step in the constant evolution of taekwondo to make sure it is as appealing as possible."

The rule changes will be first implemented at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series 1 in Rome on June 1, 2018.

The General Assembly comes after an Executive Board meeting yesterday and before the Summer Youth Olympic Qualification Tournament and World Junior Championships, which begin tomorrow in Hammamet.

"I would like to thank our hosts, the Tunisian Taekwondo Federation, the city of Hammamet and the Government of Tunisia for their organisation and support," added Choue. 

"I have no doubt that the Qualification Tournament and World Junior Championships will be fantastic events and showcase Tunisia and Africa's excellent hosting credentials."