Seoul Hangung Association holds inaugural general meeting, appoints Seok-jae Kang first President

By Seok-jae Kang
Vice President, Asia Journalists Association

SEOUL: The Seoul Hangung Association (SHA) has held its inaugural general meeting in Nowon-gu, Seoul, Korea.

At the first SHA general meeting on January 6, 2024, the participating promoters unanimously approved its Articles of Incorporation and approved GCS International Secretary General Dr. Seok-jae Kang as its first president.

The promoters also approved the eight hangung leaders as board members of the SHA: Choo Dong-sin, Hong Hye-sook, Youn Yeo-yong, Kim Jin-sim, Cho Young-sub, Chung Hyang-soo and Ahn Yeon-ok.

SHA President Kang said, “On the occasion of the inaugural general meeting, the Seoul Hangung Association has officially launched and I am very honored to serve as the first president of the SHA.” “Given the importance of Korea-originated hangung as a life-long education, SHA will put its priority on cultivating hangung leaders and organizing hangung associations in Seoul’s 25 districts.”

Dr. Kang received a letter of appointment as president of the SHA by Hu Kwang, president of the World Hangung Association (WHA), on November 29, 2023 at the Hangung CHANGE House in Cheongyang County, South Chungchong Province.

The new Seoul Hangung Association president, who also serves as senior consultant for World Taekwondo and vice president & secretary general of the Asia Journalists Association, will hold the top post over the next four years.

Dr. Kang has served as a board member of the World Hangung Association since 2021 and the WHA signed an MOU with GCS International, headed by World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, in 2020 to help support refugees and the powerless in developing countries.

The Korea Hangung Association was established in 2009, with the Korea Hangung Association for the Disabled in 2013 and the World Hangung Association in 2014. The Korea Hangung Association and the Korea Hangung Association for the Disabled were officially approved as a recognized sport organization by the Korean Sport & Olympic Council in 2021.

The WHA was registered with the Association for International Sports for All (TAFISA) as an international member in 2015, with Hangung being recognized as a TAFISA traditional sport & game at the same year. Hangung was adopted as an official sport at the 1^st National Adaptive Sports Festival on June 17-18, 2022 in Kansas City, the United States.

Hangung, or hands archery, was invented by Korean Hu Kwang in 2006. Hangung is a traditional sport for all, which combines the western dart game with traditional Korean archery and ‘Tuho’ or throwing sticks from a set distance into a canister, plus an electronic score board of archery. Hangung is a recording sport that throws hangung pins five times each with the right hand and the left hand and determines a play with a higher mark as the winner.

Hangung is a safe sport for all, which is easily accessible and good for concentration and communication among generations. Hangung is especially fit for the physically and mentally handicapped as well as the youth and seniors.