The 2024 GCS International Convention was held successfully in Kathmandu, Nepal on November 8, 2024. The participants in the GCS event adopted a GCS Kathmandu peace initiative, calling for an immediate end to the ongoing conflicts worldwide.

The annual GCS Convention, which took place at Hotel Himalaya in a hybrid format, drew about 100 persons, including some 80 in-person and about 20 online participants.

The Kathmandu event attracted the largest in-person contingent of some 40 Koreans, followed by host Nepal with about 30 people and two Malays and one Indian attendee.

Among the VIPs of the event were GCS International and World Taekwondo (WT) President Chungwon Choue; Nepal’s Youth and Sports Minister Teju Lal Chaudhary; Korean Amb. to Nepal Park Tae-young; Mr. Gajendra Maharjan, mayor of Godawari Municipality; Mr. Um Hong Gil, executive director of the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation; and Mr. Prakash Shumsher Rana, president of the Nepal Taekwondo Association and GCS Nepal.

Also on hand were Mr. Namdev Shirgaonker, president of GCS India and Taekwondo India; Prof. Suh Joo-hwan, president of GCS Korea; Mr. Lee Hyeong-taek, board member of GCS Internationa; Dr. Seok-jae kang, secretary general of GCS International; Mr. Lee Won-jong, secretary general of GCS Korea. A six-member delegation of the International Center for Korean Culture, led by Mr. Park Eui-kun, president of the Finance Committee of the ICKC, also participated in the GCS event.

The GCS Convention highlighted the adoption of a GCS Kathmandu peace initiative, GCS Korea’s delivery of development funds to Godawari Municipality Mayor Maharjan for the victim of recent landslides in Nepal, and the #play_taekwondo challenge event. The Kathmandu peace initiative was drafted by Dr. Luc Reychler, emeritus professor of the University of Leuven in Belgium.

The three-hour-long convention was followed by a welcome dinner at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza in downtown Kathmandu.

“Nepal is one of my favorite countries to visit, because of its beauty and the warmth of the people. I would like to thank President Rana and his team, as well as the government of Nepal, for your incredible support for Taekwondo and the GCS Movement,” said GCS International President Dr. Choue in his congratulatory speech.

He continued to say, “Because of recent fatal landslides in Nepal, the 4th Mt. Everest International Open Taekwondo Championships were postponed. On behalf of the global GCS members, I deliver my sincere condolences to the victims of the landslides and wish them a quick recovery. In times of difficulties, the global GCS family stand with them.”

“We see growing conflicts and regionalism around the world these days. GCS founder Dr. Young Seek Choue’s words of “Peace is More Precious than Triumph” touch our hearts more than ever. GCS International and World Taekwondo are also committed to the development of Nepalese society through the Taekwondo Cares program. Nepal is one of the model countries of the WT Cares program,” he said. “WT celebrated its 50th anniversary of its founding last year, and this year we are celebrating 30 years of recognition as an Olympic sport. This year is also meaningful as Nepal and Korea celebrate their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.”

Dr. Choue said, “World Taekwondo is trying to find the hidden value of Taekwondo and its role in the pathway of peace-building through sport and has been constantly pursuing Olympism through it. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Taekwondo showed the world its consolidated position as an Olympic sport. With the support of WT and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, six refugee athletes competed in Taekwondo at Paris 2024 summer Olympics and two refugee athletes in taekwondo at Paris 2024 Paralympics.”

“I know everyone in Nepal watched a bronze medal match of Palesha Goverdhan in Taekwondo at 2024 Paris Paralymp and witness the winning of the first ever medal brought to Nepal,” he said.