Kukkiwon is the World Taekwondo Headquarters founded in 1972 in Seoul, South Korea. It is a hub for learning and research. It is also the home of the World Taekwondo Academy where instructional seminars are held.
The Academy also trains and certifies Taekwondo Instructors from around the world through it regularly held leadership courses. In 1998, the Academy held its first instructor training seminar for Foreigner instructors which included only 20 Americans. This is a very prestigious certification.
It is the organization that issues dan rank and guidelines on belt promotion and certification including required poomse, breaking and sparring (kyorugi) techniques.
Additionally, it is the only taekwondo organization whose dan ranks are recognized by World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
“According to the Korean/English Taekwondo Magazine “Taekwondo People” September 2007, the Kukkiwon and the WTF are separate organizations, although the two are often confused with each other. As a result, the term WTF is sometimes used to refer to the Kukkiwon-style taekwondo.”