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Pope Leo XIV Awarded Honorary 10th-Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Pope Leo XIV Awarded Honorary 10th-Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Pope Leo XIV received an honorary 10th-degree black belt in Taekwondo from the World Taekwondo Federation (WT).
  • The honorary degree recognizes the Pope's humanitarian leadership and contributions to global peace.
  • The ceremony was attended by young refugee athletes from Jordan, who are participating in a tournament in Rome.

Pope Leo XIV has been awarded an honorary 10th-degree black belt in Taekwondo, the highest rank in the martial art. The World Taekwondo Federation (WT) presented the Pontiff with the certificate during a general audience at the Vatican.

The WT recognized Pope Leo XIV for his humanitarian leadership and his efforts to promote peace worldwide. The honorary degree aligns with the core values of Taekwondo, according to WT President Cho Chung-won.

Pope Leo XIV's dedication to peace and human dignity aligns with the core values of Taekwondo.

— Cho Chung-wonWT President Cho Chung-won stated the reason for awarding the honorary black belt.

"We are proud to recognize his contributions with this honorary 10th Dan certificate in line with the spirit of 'Reborn Together'," Cho stated, emphasizing the Pope's dedication to peace and human dignity.

The ceremony was also attended by seven young refugee athletes, aged 7 to 14, from Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. These athletes are in Rome to compete in the 'Kim & Liu' youth tournament, part of the World Taekwondo Grand Prix.

We are proud to recognize his contributions with this honorary 10th Dan certificate in line with the spirit of 'Reborn Together'.

— Cho Chung-wonWT President Cho Chung-won expressed pride in acknowledging the Pope's contributions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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