2022 GCS International Convention takes place at Siam University in Bangkok

By Seok-Jae Kang,
Asia Journalists Association Vice President 

BANGOK: The 2022 GCS International Convention was held successfully at Siam University in Bangkok, Thailand on October 14, 2022.

The Bangkok GCS convention, which was held in a hybrid format because of the COVID-19 pandemic, drew about 150 persons from 64 countries – about 100 in-person attendees from 10 countries and 54 online participants from 54 countries.

The previous in-person annual GCS Convention was held at Chosun University in Gwangju, Korea, on September 21, 2019.

The Bangkok event, the second of its kind after the 2007 Bangkok GCS International Convention, attracted a 12-member Korean delegation, followed by Malaysia with a six-member contingent and India with a four-member delegation. China and Myanmar sent two delegates each, while Sri Lanka, Nepal, Australia, and Jordan dispatched one delegate each.

Among VIPs of the event were GCS International and World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue; Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, president of GCS Thailand and Siam University; Dr. Huh Jong, president of GCS Korea; Australia’s Mr. Magableh Maher, president of GCS Australia and a World Taekwondo Council member; Mr. Prakash Shumsher Rana, president of GCS Nepal and the Nepal Taekwondo Association; and Mr. Hazem Ahmad Naimat, former WT Council member and mayor of Amman, Jordan.

The registration of delegates took place from 11 a.m. on Oct. 14 at the Function Hall of Siam University, the 18th floor of the Siam University headquarters building, where a welcoming luncheon took place from 12:00 p.m.

As a pre-convention event, there was an unveiling ceremony of the GCS Peace Plaque at the Garden of Peace of Siam University at 1:40 p.m., followed by a tree planting ceremony by GCS President Dr. Chungwon Choue.

The GCS Peace Plaque was installed next to a big tree in the Garden of Peace, which was planted in 1986 by GCS Movement founder Dr. Young Seek Choue, the late father of GCS International President Dr. Choue.

Shortly after the unveiling ceremony, GCS International President Dr. Choue planted a tree at a new garden on the opposite side of the Garden of Peace.

The main GCS International Convention started at 2:20 p.m. and lasted about two hours and 40 minutes, which featured each GCS national chapter’s country report session, the adoption of the GCS Bangkok Peace Initiative 2022 and the delivery of the ICKC Taekwondo Development Fund to the Sri Lanka Taekwondo Federation.

Dr. Choue opened the convention by ringing the GCS Bell, followed by the GCS Charter recitation by Dr. Huh Jong, president of GCS Korea, and the taking of GCS membership pledge by Dr. Maruj Limpawattana and Ms. Sawheny Yhing of Thailand.

After the pledge, there was a four-minute GCS meditation session, followed by the introduction of VIPs and participants. Dr. Seok-jae Kang, secretary general of GCS International, made a progress report.

Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit made a welcoming speech and GCS International President Dr. Choue delivered a congratulatory address.

“My special appreciation also goes to Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit for organizing this annual convention. Under the strong leadership of Dr. Pornchai, GCS Thailand is one of the most active GCS chapters as it celebrates the September 21 U.N. International Day of Peace annually,” said Dr. Choue in his congratulatory message.

He said, “As you are well aware of, the U.N. International Day of Peace was first proposed by GCS International founder Dr. Young Seek Choue in 1981 and the U.N. General Assembly approved it that year. Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the U.N. International Day of Peace and the 100th anniversary of the birth of GCS founder Dr. Young Seek Choue. GCS International celebrated the day by organizing the World Taekwondo Peace Festival on November 22, 2021 in Seoul, Korea, together with World Taekwondo. Former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the event to make a congratulatory speech.”

“GCS International has three major focuses: goodwill, cooperation and service-dedication. We strive to achieve the three by promoting a healthy society, a better living, preservation of the nature, restoration of human dignity and promotion of world peace,” Dr. Choue said. “The GCS Movement aims to establish a human society of coexistence and co-prosperity where all human beings will enjoy lives which are spiritually beautiful, materially affluent and humanly rewarding.”

“GCS founder Dr. Young Seek Choue named it “Oughtopia” as a society of “ought-to-be” and “ought-to-do” under the spirit of goodwill, cooperation and service. For that lofty goal, we have carried out various activities around the world under the GCS flag. “Peace is More Precious than Triumph” is the book title of the late Dr. Young Seek Choue, which was published in 1982 and the GCS slogan sends a great message to mankind of today,” said Dr. Choue.

“Amid growing uncertainties, the world is ridden by the years of COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S.-China rivalry and etc. In these times of uncertainty, we, GCS members, have to strive to achieve a global common society,” he said.

“Last month I was in Pokhara, Nepal to attend the 1^st Mt. Everest GCS International Poomsae Championships. While in Pokhara, the chief minister of the Gandaki Province promised to provide the GCS Nepal Chapter with a land for the installment of the GCS Peace Statue, which will be the second of its kind after the first one in Kathmandu in 2019. The GCS Nepal Chapter plans to install the third GCS Peace Statue in Lumbini. I wish to thank GCS Nepal President Prakash Shumsher Rana. I wish more GCS peace statues and plaques will be installed at peace-related locations worldwide. I am very happy to see the GCS Peace Plaque unveiled at the Garden of Peace in Siam University with you this afternoon. I strongly hope this GCS peace plaque to send its peace message to the world.”

Dr. Cheol-je Cho, vice president both of GCS International and Siam University, read the background of the U.N. International Day of Peace, followed by a showing of a four-minute video on the 40th anniversary of the U.N. International Day of Peace, which was held in Seoul, Korea on November 22, 2021.

After that a 11-minute video presentation by Dr. Luc Reychler, emeritus professor of the University of Leuven, on the GCS Bangkok Peace Initiative 2022. All the participants in the convention unanimously adopted the GCS Bangkok Peace Initiative 2022.

The Peace Initiative read as follows: “We, the participants in the 2022 GCS International Convention at Siam University in Bangkok, Thailand on October 12, 2022, hereby adopt the following six objectives as the GCS Bangkok Peace Initiative 2022:

Cultivate worldwide a commitment to end violence under the conviction that “Peace is More Precious than Triumph.”

Cultivate worldwide a better understanding of the need for harmony between human beings and nature in order to achieve sustainable peace.

Create worldwide open and safe meeting spaces for the students, scholars, and researchers to get to know each other, share aspirations and concerns, and look for common grounds and solutions, unafraid of political incorrect words or political taboos.

Promote intellectual solidarity and research and education into peace and peace building.

Embrace the principles of Olympism, placing sport at the service of a harmonious development of mankind. In particular, during conflicts, athletes and artists should be able to compete and share their creativity.

Increase understanding of how today’s actions and policies can affect the future in order to better anticipate the long-term side effects of policies and decisions.”

After the adoption of the peace initiative, there was a 15-minute breaktime, followed by the GCS Activities report session by in-person participants and online participants. The order of in-person GCS activities presentations was host Thailand, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Korea, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Video presentations were made by GCS Hong Kong, GCS Guangdong, China, GCS Guatemala and GCS Victoria, Australia.

Then GCS International President Dr Choue delivered a plaque of appreciation to GCS Thailand President Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit for his efforts for organizing the Bangkok GCS event. Dr. Choue also handed over certificates of appreciation and participation to exemplary GCS members and VIPs.

GCS India and GCS Sri Lanka gave gifts to GCS International President Dr. Choue and GCS International Secretary General Dr. Kang.

After the felicitation, GCS International President Dr. Choue, who also serves as president of the International Center for Korean Culture (ICKC), delivered the ICKC Taekwondo Development Fund to Master Lee Ki-su, vice president of GCS Sri Lanka and technical chairman of the Sri Lanka Taekwondo Federation.

Then there was 10-miniute flute and Thai traditional dance performances by Siam University cultural center students and professors.

All the participants then sang the GCS song and GCS International President Dr. Choue concluded the convention by ringing the GCS Bell. All participants posed for a group photo with the GCS slogan banner in front.

Shortly after the main convention event, there was a memorandum of understanding ceremony between Siam University and the MERI Group of Institutions, India. Followed by a farewell reception at the Royal Thai Navy Club.