SOUTH KOREA.
The South Korean national team has by far been the most dominant team throughout the history of Sport Taekwondo. With countless Olympic, World and Asian champions the Koreans are always at the forefront of major competition. Of late, many people believe that Korea are falling behind and are getting caught up by countries such as Chinese Taipei and Iran, but as the profiles show below, the Koreans have no intetions of slowing down.
Here are some profiles of some of the most experienced Korean players on the World circuit. As their records show the Koreans can still be considered the best team in the World.

Name: Choi Yeon Ho
KOREA
Grade: 4th Dan
Weight: Fin
Titles:
1998 Junior World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2001 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2004 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD

Yeon Ho Choi has not been seen on the Korean National Team for 2 years now and made a dramatic comeback this year by taking gold in the 2003 World Taekwndo Championships. He has a unique style of play and it serves him well as he wins most of his matches confidently and with ease. He won his first major title in 1998 when he won gold at the Junior World Championships by beating Chu Mu Yen in the final. Three years later he won the World title by beating Chu Mu Yen again in the final with a stunning display of Taekwondo by both competitors making the score 7:2 to the Korean. This year however, Yeon Ho Choi's performance was not so spectacular. He barely managed to get through the early rounds by winning by only a point or two. However he easily won his semi final over Azerbaijan but was very fortunate not to lose the gold to the aerial legwork of the UK's Paul Green. Nevertheless Yeon Ho Choi's performance and consistency has definitely earned him the number 1 spot in Fin weight division.

Name: Seok Hwa Ko
Age: 22
Grade: Dan
Weight: Fly
Titles:
2001 East Asian Games GOLD
2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2002 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
2004 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD

Seok Hwa Ko is an outstanding Fly weight player and certainly one to watch out for in the future. Although he only began his International career in 2002 he already holds an impresive 2 Gold's and 1 Bronze for the Korean National Team. His rivalry with Kim Dae Ryung  for the Fly weight spot on the Korean team is renowned and extremly fearce! He has a classical style of play when he fights and usually dominantly holds the centre of the ring in his matches. His finest performance was in the 2002 World Cup where he beat a number of impressive opponents to win his 7-7 final with Turkey's Kivanc Dincsalman. In the 2003 World Championships he won a number of early matches against tough opposition such as the current Olympic Gold Medallist Michealis Mourotsos. He lost in the semis however by decision as he lost his match to Behzad Khodadad Kanjobeh from Iran 11-11. He showed he is still a top player at the fly weight division by winning gold at the 2004 Asian Championships.

Name: Nam Won Kang
Age: 22
Grade: 4th Dan
Weight: Feather
Titles:
1998 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD
1998 Bangkok Asian Games GOLD
1999 Sydney Pre Olympics GOLD
2000 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2001 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD

By far one of the most experienced and honoured players on the Korean team. At the young age of 22 Nam Won Kang is already a 4th Dan and has a record a mile long. In 2001 he finally won the World title leaving only the Olympic Games Gold the one thing missing of his career record. In the 2003 World Taekwondo Championships he moved up a weight category into -67. However despite this fact he still destroyed all opposition to secure himself another well earned World Title. We still have plenty more to see from Kang Nam Won

I R IRAN NATIONAL TAEKWONDO TEAM

The Iranian national team have been producing quality players for years and are considered the biggest threat to Korean supremacy. Well known for producing many heavier weights such as Hadi Saei and Aflaki, they are also now well known for their Fly weight 2001 World champion, Behzad Khodadad Kanjobeh.

Name: Behzad Khodadad Kanjobeh
Age: 22
Weight: Fly
Taekwondo Records:11 Years:
National Team: 6 Years
Titles:
1998 World Taekwondo Cup SILVER
2000 World CISM Championships BRONZE
2001 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
2002 World Taekwondo Cup BRONZE
2002 Asian Games SILVER
2003 World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2003 Universiade SILVER
2004 World University Taekwondo Championships GOLD

Behzad Khodadad Kanjobeh has proved a formidable opponent in the Fly weight class around the world. At only 22 years old he has won a Gold in the 2001 World Championships and a Silver in the 2003 World Taekwondo Championships and has countless medals in other major competitions. Many look forward to see how he will fare in the Olympic trials and to see if he will progress to even further Olympic status. Despite the fact that he is not the World Champion, his consistency over the years and unique style of play has definitely earned him the right to be a major player in Fly weight Division. He hasnt competed a lot during 2004 and many were dissapointed that he wasn't entered by the Iraninan Team as an Olympic Team candidate. However his recent win at the 2004 World University Championships just goes to show he is still a major player in Taekwondo.

Name: Hadi Saei Boneh Kohal
Age: 27
Weight: Light
Taekwondo Records:16 Years
Records in Taekwondo National Team: 6 Years
Titles:
1995 World Military Taekwondo Championships SILVER
1996 World Military Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
1998 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
1999 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2000 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2000 Sydney Olympic Games BRONZE
2001 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2002 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2002 Busan Asian Games GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2004 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD

By far the best Light weight fighter ever to play in Sport Taekwondo. Hadi Saei has won every honour possible in his fifteen years of Taekwondo and fulfilled this even more by winning the Olympic Gold at the recent Athens Olympic Games. Despite his age he has proven himself to be one of the most memorable Taekwondo players in the world. With the Olympic crown now firmly on his head many question on whether or not he will retire from the games as he faces many formidable opponents from across the world. However with a career high now in the bag I think we we can expect to see Hadi in Madrid next year!

Name: Majid Aflakikhamseh
Age: 30
Weight: Welter
Taekwondo Record: 20 Years
Record in Taekwondo National Team: 12 Years
Titles:
1996 Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
1997 World Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
1998 Bangkok Asian Games SILVER
1999 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2000 World Taekwondo Cup SILVER
2001 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2002 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2002 Busan Asian Games BRONZE

Aflaki is also another formidable player in the Welter weight category who is known to win medal after medal world wide. Despite his 12 years Taekwondo experience he also lacks Olympic medal status and many feel he is too old at the age of 30 to continue to be a true candidate for Olympic Gold.