KOREAN NET

World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won (left) on June 3 presents a taekwondo uniform to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. (World Taekwondo)

By Koh Hyunjeong

Pope Leo XIV has received an honorary 10th-degree blackbelt in taekwondo, the highest rank in the martial art.

World Taekwondo (WT), the martial art's world governing body based in Seoul, on June 4 said President Choue Chung-won the day before paid a courtesy call on the pope at the Vatican to present him with a certificate for his honorary 10th-degree blackbelt and a taekwondo uniform.

The honor was an expression of gratitude to the pope for his humanitarian activities worldwide. He is known to enjoy sports such as tennis.

Seven Syrian youth athletes from the Azraq and Za'atari refugee camps in Jordan also attended the ceremony General Audience at the Vatican.

Pope Leo thanked WT and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation for supporting refugees and displaced persons, saying he was glad to meet athletes from the camp.

"The pope's commitment to peace and human dignity aligns with the core values of taekwondo," Cho said. "I'm proud to present him with the certificate for the honorary 10th-degree blackbelt."

In 2017, then Pope Francis also received an honorary 10th-degree blackbelt in taekwondo.

hjkoh@korea.kr