Donald Trump is now a taekwondo black belt holder despite never having actually practiced taekwondo.
Martial artist: Kukkiwon, a taekwondo governing body based in South Korea, presented the former president with an honorary ninth dan black belt at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend, reported the New York Post.
- Kukkiwon President Lee Dong-seop presented Trump with the honor, which is considered the highest level a professional martial artist can achieve.
- Lee told local outlet Dong-A-Ilbo, “I heard that Donald Trump is highly interested in Taekwondo.”
- Images posted on Kukkiwon’s Facebook page show Lee posing with Trump, who was wearing a “dobok,” the traditional taekwondo uniform.
- The post’s disclaimer noted that the ceremony, organized by a South Korean living in the U.S., was “not related [to] any other political issues.”
- Trump and Lee posed in front of several photos on display, including that of the former president shaking hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
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(To view the post above, you must click on the Facebook post and see through the social media platform.)
POTUS pride: Trump said he will be wearing his “dobok” to Congress should he get elected president again.
- Trump said of the title: “It is my honor to receive honorary dan certificate and I think taekwondo is magnificent [sic] martial art for self-defense. I wish to see Kukkiwon Taekwondo Team’s demonstration.”
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was given the same belt and the title of grandmaster in 2013 while visiting Seoul, also has a black belt in judo.
- The two world leaders now outrank actor and martial arts champion Chuck Norris, who never advanced his eighth-degree taekwondo black belt.
Featured Image via Kukkiwon_tkd
