2024 GCS International Board meeting takes place at GCS headquarters

By Seok-jae Kang
Vice President, Asia Journalists Association

SEOUL: The 2024 GCS International Board of Directors Meeting took place at the conference room of the GCS International headquarters in downtown Seoul, Korea on January 22, 2024.

At the board meeting, which was held in a hybrid format, the board members unanimously approved the 2023 income-expenditure report and the 2024 budget and business plans.

Board members, who attended the meeting in person, were GCS International President Chungwon Choue, president of World Taekwondo; Mr. Yoo In-hee, chairman of Youngbo Group; Dr. Lee Kwang-kyun, a professor of the specialized courses on CEO of the Graduate School of Urban and Real Estate Convergence at Hanyang University; and Mr. Kang Dae-geun, president of THF Asia. Mr. Lee Hyeong-taek, representative attorney of law firm Tong, attended the board meeting online.

The board meeting approved Mr. Son Young-hwa, chairman of Daejeon Dongsan Middle and High School; Mr. Song Jae-seung, president of ESSEDUE Corp.; and Mrs. Choue So-youn as new board members of GCS International. The board also unanimously approved reappointment of GCS International President Chungwon Choue; Mr. Seung Myung-ho, chairman of the Hankuk Ilbo and the Korea Times; and Mr. Yoo In-hee, chairman of Youngbo Group, as GCS board members for three more years. Dr. Kim Byong-ro was reappointed as a GCS auditor for two more years, while another GCS auditor Prof. Suh Joo-hwan terminated his two-year term as he was appointed as GCS Korea president last November. Mr. Lee Hee-woon, head of Daegu Bank’s Metropolitan PRM Seoul 1 Center and World Taekwondo financial advisor, was named a new GCS auditor.

Among major GCS projects for 2024, which marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of GCS International, are the 2024 GCS International Convention, an international seminar to mark the 45th anniversary of GCS International, and the inauguration ceremony of new GCS International national chapters in Kazakhstan and Brunei.

The 2024 GCS International Convention will take place among the four candidate countries: Kyrgyzstan (together with Kazakhstan), India (Mumbai and Assem), Nepal, and Brunei together with Malaysia. The board decided to make a final decision on the venue by the end of March this year after a proper bidding procedure. The proposed GCS international seminar will likely take place late September and early October in Seoul and/or Chuncheon on the occasion of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships.

Together with the Asia Development Foundation (ADF), the International Center for Korean Culture (ICKC), and other GCS-related organizations, GCS International plans to organize other events such as the 2024 DMZ Peace Festival together with the Kukmin Ilbo, the #play-taekwondo challenge, Taekwondo UCC contest, GCS gagok concert, virtual taekwondo events, etc.

At the meeting, GCS International Secretary General Seok-jae Kang reported that the number of GCS International national chapters increased to 83 at the end of 2023.

The board members requested a revision to the GCS Statute, which will require each GCS national member chapters to pay annual membership fees starting next year, while adding a clause to hold GCS board meetings online.

The board agreed to hold a workshop for GCS International board members on April 17, 2024 at the GCS headquarters to further activate GCS activities.