Taekwondo Queen

Taekwondo Queen

Miss Chang Gyong Ok

By Ra Gi Chol

Chang Gyong Ok, 25, became a female champion in international Taekwondo competitions. Her outstadinding skill displayed at the 10th World Taekwondo Championships held in Russia on July 3-5, (first prize in pattern, third in indiscriminate class sparring) pushed her to the winner of the individual combined. Her brilliant record in the team combined (first prize in pattern, second prizes in sparring and special techniques) brought a team victory to the DPRK female delegation at the 10th championships which was participated in by more than 1,200 players from 70 countries.

"I could not stop crying at the moment when I obtained the title," said the 168 cm-height and 68kg-weight master of the traditional Korean marshal art. "Amid the growing anti-DPRK campaign, I wanted to demonstrate the strength of our Republic to the world by winning this title."

Born and brought up in Koson County, Kangwon Province, she learned how to play the Korean-made sport when she was 16 years old. She was captivated by it and determined to be at the top of the world.

In May 1988, she fought herself off from her parents and went to Pyongyang for "knight-errantry." However, the survival competition for international spotlight was so hard that she had often felt homesick and written a letter to her parents, begging for her homecoming. "It was dad who turned down my plea. `You can not come home without achieving a result,' he wrote me back," she said.

Chang Gyong Ok made a remarkable debut at the 7th World Championships in Canada in 1990 by winning the second prize in pattern. Her fame soared as she carried off the second prizes in pattern and sparring at the 8th World Championships in Pyongyang in 1992, and first prizes in pattern and sparring at the World Championships in Malaysia in 1994.

"Now, my parents understand me," said the 25-year-old player who is engaged and plan to marry next year.

"I may retire after I have a family. Even so, I will hand down the skill, fighting and spirit of this great sport and lessons I have learned from it to younger contenders. After all, Taekondo is my lifework."