Chong-chul Rhee

Rhee was born in Korea during the period of Japanese occupation from 1910–1945. As a youth, he trained in martial arts, basketball, boxing, gymnastics, and weights. Later, he was an instructor in the Korean Marines for three years, teaching unarmed combat to the Marine Commandoes, Marine Brigade Headquarters, and the Marine 2nd Infantry Division. Under the direction of the KTA, Chong Chul & Chong Hyup Rhee helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Southeast Asia—most notably in Malaysia and Singapore, but also in Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Brunei.[http://www.rheetkd.com/master_rhee.html Rhee Tae Kwon Do: Perth Region – Father of Australian Tae Kwon Do] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914084309/http://www.rheetkd.com/master_rhee.html |date=2009-09-14 }} (c. 2007). Retrieved on 13 June 2007.

Rhee was the first Taekwondo master sent to Australia by the Republic of Korea, and was ranked around 5th Dan at the time.{{ref_label|B|b|none}} He founded Rhee Taekwon-Do in Adelaide, South Australia, around 1965.[http://www.rhee-taekwondo.com.au/history.htm Rhee Taekwondo: South Australia – History of Rhee Taekwondo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009192722/http://www.rhee-taekwondo.com.au/history.htm |date=2007-10-09 }} (c. 2007). Retrieved on 3 November 2007. Two of his brothers later joined him, and assisted in managing parts of the school.{{ref_label|C|c|none}} Rhee was promoted to 8th Dan in the early 1980s.{{ref_label|B|b|none}} He personally conducted Rhee Taekwon-Do grading examinations across most of Australia, visiting every region 4 times each year.

Rhee worked towards the reunification of Korea,Anonymous (2007): [http://www.hojutopnews.com/asapro/photo/view.htm?code=AS1158844024&keyfield=&keyword=&limit_num=&field=&sort=&user_main_type=&page=12&num=128 남북정상회담에 대한 평통회장의 견해] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712213344/http://www.hojutopnews.com/asapro/photo/view.htm?code=AS1158844024&keyfield=&keyword=&limit_num=&field=&sort=&user_main_type=&page=12&num=128 |date=2011-07-12 }} {{in lang|ko}}. Hoju Top News (24 August 2007). Retrieved on 5 December 2009. serving as a member during the third through ninth terms—and as Chairman for the eighth term—of the Oceania Division of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification.[http://www.acdpuoceania.com/formal_chairman_e.html Former Chairmen of the ODCC] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050206133105/http://www.acdpuoceania.com/formal_chairman_e.html |date=2005-02-06 }} (2003). Retrieved on 24 April 2003; link has expired, as at 15 July 2007. He also served as Chairman of the Seoul Olympics Supporting Committee and founding President of the Korean Community Hall Construction Supporting Committee. The Republic of Korea awarded Rhee the Dongbaeg Medal (동백장) in 2003 for promoting taekwondo and Korean culture over the previous 33 years.Chong, S. (2003): [http://koreanherald.com.au/stories.php?story=03/01/28/5555350 '호주 태권도 대부' 이종철씨, 국민훈장 동백장 서훈] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920004228/http://koreanherald.com.au/stories.php?story=03%2F01%2F28%2F5555350 |date=September 20, 2006 }} {{in lang|ko}}. The Sydney Korean Herald (28 January 2003). Retrieved on 15 July 2007; link has expired, as at 30 January 2008. [http://www.koreanherald.com.au/bbs/board.php?bo_table=news&wr_id=665&page=340 Archived copy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706105530/http://www.koreanherald.com.au/bbs/board.php?bo_table=news&wr_id=665&page=340 |date=2011-07-06 }} retrieved on 24 July 2009.

Rhee is listed as a pioneer in Asia (1950s and 1960s) and Australia (1970s) in Choi Chang-keun's list of taekwondo pioneers.Choi, C. K. (2007): [http://www.taekwondopioneers.com/pioneers.html Tae Kwon Do Pioneers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312111930/http://www.taekwondopioneers.com/pioneers.html |date=2008-03-12 }} Retrieved on 15 March 2008.

• Korean reunification
• List of taekwondo grandmasters
• Master Rhee (disambiguation)

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a. {{note_label|A|a|none}} The Korea Taekwon-Do Association (KTA; 1959/1961) predated both the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF; 1966) and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF; 1973).Park, S. H. (1993): "About the author." In H. H. Choi: Taekwon-Do: The Korean art of self-defence, 3rd ed. (Vol. 1, pp. 241–274). Mississauga: International Taekwon-Do Federation.[http://www.koreataekwondo.org/english/html/kta/kta_index.html Korea Taekwondo Association: History] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120805012648/http://www.koreataekwondo.org/english/html/kta/kta_index.html |date=2012-08-05 }} (c. 2007). Retrieved on 3 September 2007.Kim, S. J. (2006): [http://www.sjkim-taekwondo.com/History.html History of Taekwondo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703232101/http://www.sjkim-taekwondo.com/History.html |date=2007-07-03 }} Retrieved on 28 July 2007. The modern KTA is closely aligned to the WTF.[http://www.koreataekwondo.org/english/html/kta/kta_01.html Korea Taekwondo Association: Organization] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130415072231/http://www.koreataekwondo.org/english/html/kta/kta_01.html |date=2013-04-15 }} (c. 2007). Retrieved on 3 September 2007.

b. {{note_label|B|b|none}} Rhee's rank at various times is indicated in photographs released by Rhee Taekwon-Do. These photographs appear in Rhee Taekwon-Do membership booklets and in Rhee Taekwondo magazine, which was published internally from January 1980Auld, B. (2004): [http://www.history.sa.gov.au/history/downloads/SPORT_BOOKcomplete.pdf Sports bibliography: A selected, annotated bibliography of South Australian sporting history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912010035/http://history.sa.gov.au/history/downloads/SPORT_BOOKcomplete.pdf |date=2009-09-12 }} (p. 239). Retrieved on 28 November 2009. to the 1990s. Rhee also appears in photographs released by former Rhee Taekwon-Do members, such as Hans Fricke and Graham Healy.Fricke, H. J. (2004): [http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/memory_lane.htm 35 years down memory lane … with Rhee International Tae Kwon Do (1970–1979)]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Retrieved on 1 January 2005; link has expired, as at 26 July 2007. [http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/rhee_tae_kwon_do_hans_fricke.html New version] retrieved on 24 July 2009.{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20070701025700/http://healyshealthandfitness.com/sdefgallery.htm Healy's Video Gallery]}} (c. 2008). Retrieved on 17 April 2008.[http://www.ckmsouthpacific.com/pdf/Condensed%20time%20line%20History%20of%20Master%20Graham%20Healy-Jan2008oc.pdf Condensed time line history of Master Graham Healy]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (2008). Retrieved on 17 April 2008.

c. {{note_label|C|c|none}} Chong-hyup Rhee, 7th dan, and Chong-yoon Rhee, 9th dan,[http://www.rheetaekwondosydney.biz/index.php?p=1_5 Rhee Taekwondo Sydney: About the Grand Master] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120164302/http://www.rheetaekwondosydney.biz/index.php?p=1_5 |date=20 January 2012 }} (c. 2011). Retrieved on 1 November 2011. are both masters in Rhee Taekwon-Do. The former is based in Melbourne, Victoria, and the latter is based in Sydney, New South Wales.

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070911184327/http://www.rhee-taekwondo.com.au/ Rhee Taekwon-Do Adelaide] contains an interview with Rhee from c. 1975.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070917075105/http://www.rheetkd.info/master.php Rhee Taekwon-Do Mildura] contains two interviews with Rhee from 1985 and 1995.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhee, Chong-chul}}

Category:Living people

Category:Martial arts school founders

Category:Australian male taekwondo practitioners

Category:South Korean male taekwondo practitioners

Category:Martial artists from Sydney

Category:Recipients of the Dongbaeg Medal

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)