06:59
9 months ago
Patrick Burke
at the jio World Centre in Mumbai
Patrick Burke

North Korean IOC honorary member Chang appears by video to receive Olympic Order

International Taekwon-Do Federation Honorary President Chang Ung, made an IOC member in North Korea in 1996 and now an honorary member, appears via video link because of health issues.

His son John is in attendance to receive the Order on his behalf.

Chang is hailed by Bach as "always the bridge connecting the Olympic Movement with the Olympic community in the DPRK".

He is praised for the World Taekwondo Federation and ITF signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Nanjing in 2014, showing his commitment to "always finding solutions in the interest of the athletes".

Chang is lauded for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, when North and South Korean athletes marched under the Unified Korean flag at the Opening Ceremony. Bach says Chang was instrumental in this process, and it was only finalised four hours before the start.


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