classic seanc
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2005
- Messages
- 10,222
Me Tae Kwon-Do instructor told us about when, after the guy who founded it died, representatives had to go to NK to sort out where TKD would go.
Passports, phones etc taken from them at the border, guides, all that stuff.
They were put in a hotel and told there would be a conference the next morning. Then at four am, they were woken by armed NK soldiers. They were shown a piece of paper and ordered to sign it. It was in Korean so they didn't understand it, but they signed it anyway.
They were told that by signing the paper they permitted an EGM to be held to held downstairs in the next ten minutes (!?).
So they went down.
Various Korean Tae Kwon-Do people spoke, and there was translators for all the foreign representatives. Then, someone came out and told all the translators to stop translating.
Following that, he introduced another man, who nobody except the Koreans recognised. Of course, the translators weren't able to explain who he was. The Koreans all stood up and applauded this man, and, not quite sure what was happening, all the foreigners did too.
The translators were all instructed to resume translating as the man began his speech. He then told everybody that he was honoured to be chosen as the new leader of the International Tae Kwon-Do Federation. Apparently the applause had been a vote, not that that really mattered.
The guy was actually a table tennis coach.
Anyway, North Korea, crazy crazy place.
Passports, phones etc taken from them at the border, guides, all that stuff.
They were put in a hotel and told there would be a conference the next morning. Then at four am, they were woken by armed NK soldiers. They were shown a piece of paper and ordered to sign it. It was in Korean so they didn't understand it, but they signed it anyway.
They were told that by signing the paper they permitted an EGM to be held to held downstairs in the next ten minutes (!?).
So they went down.
Various Korean Tae Kwon-Do people spoke, and there was translators for all the foreign representatives. Then, someone came out and told all the translators to stop translating.
Following that, he introduced another man, who nobody except the Koreans recognised. Of course, the translators weren't able to explain who he was. The Koreans all stood up and applauded this man, and, not quite sure what was happening, all the foreigners did too.
The translators were all instructed to resume translating as the man began his speech. He then told everybody that he was honoured to be chosen as the new leader of the International Tae Kwon-Do Federation. Apparently the applause had been a vote, not that that really mattered.
The guy was actually a table tennis coach.
Anyway, North Korea, crazy crazy place.
