General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwon-Do, dedicated his life to developing and promoting the art globally. He was born on 9th November 1918, in Pyongyang. At age twelve, he was expelled from school for agitating against Japanese authorities. His father then arranged for him to study calligraphy under Mr. Han Il Dong, who also taught him Taek Kyon, an ancient Korean foot-fighting art. In 1937, Choi went to Japan for further education, where he also studied Karate, achieving a second-degree black belt and subsequently teaching at a YMCA in Tokyo.

During World War II, he was compelled to enlist in the Japanese army and was later imprisoned in Pyongyang for his involvement in the Korean Independence Movement. While imprisoned, he practiced and taught his developing martial art. Following his liberation in August 1945, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the new South Korean army in January 1946. He began teaching his art to his company and later to American soldiers stationed in Tae Jon. After a series of promotions, including major general in 1954, he organised the 29th Infantry Division and established the Oh Do Kwan.

On 11th April 1955, a special board convened by General Choi officially adopted the name Taekwon-Do, providing a unified name for the art. He led a tour of East Asia in 1959, successfully introducing Taekwon-Do internationally. In 1960, he introduced Taekwon-Do to the United States. By 1961, it became a compulsory subject for the armed and police forces in South Korea. General Choi was appointed Ambassador to Malaysia in 1962, further expanding the art's reach. A notable achievement was the founding of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) on 22nd March 1966, with associations from several countries. He hosted the first World Taekwon-Do Championships in Montreal in 1974. In 1980, he introduced Taekwon-Do to North Korea, his birthplace. He led the ITF demonstration team to Moscow, U.S.S.R., in August 1988, fulfilling his objective of teaching his art without regard to religion, race, or ideology. General Choi Hong Hi passed away on 15th June 2002.