Jong Soo Park

Park Jong-soo (1941 – 27 November 2021) was a South Korean master of taekwondo and one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. He held the rank of 9th dan. Following a career in the South Korean military, he emigrated to Canada in 1968.

Early life Park was born in Chūseinan-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan in 1941. The following year, he moved to the Netherlands and founded the Netherlands Taekwon-Do Association.

Canada In 1968, Park settled in Toronto, Canada. In 1974, Park and several other ITF masters demonstrated taekwondo in Toronto—then being promoted as "the new home of the ITF" by Choi. Park and Choi went their separate ways after Choi insisted on establishing relations with North Korea during a politically sensitive period. By 2002, however, they were reconciled, and Park was present at Choi's deathbed. In 2008, Park conducted a seminar in Beijing. He headed taekwondo schools in Toronto.

Park is listed as a pioneer in Canada (1950s, 1960s, and 1970s) in Choi Chang-keun's list of taekwondo pioneers.

Filmography

Schools and Instructors Grand Master Park Influenced

1965, Park traveled with General Choi Hong Hi on a goodwill tour through Europe, Asia, and Africa promoting Tae Kwon Do 1965, during the above-mentioned tour, Park became the coach of the German Tae Kwon Do Association