'Hero of the Republic of Korea Sports, Pioneer of Korean Wrestling' Teacher Jang Chang-seon Passes Away at 83

*This content was translated by AI.

Jang Chang-seon, hero of Korean wrestling, has become an eternal star in heaven. He was 83 years old.

The Korea Sports Council (President Yoo Seung-min) announced that "the late Jang Chang-seon, a Hero of the Republic of Korea Sports and a pioneer of Korean wrestling, passed away on the 20th."

It further explained, "The deceased was designated as a Hero of the Republic of Korea Sports by the Korea Sports Council in 2014. Given his outstanding achievements and contributions to the development of sports in the Republic of Korea, the Korea Sports Council plans to hold Jang Chang-seon's funeral rites as a 'Funeral of the President of the Korea Sports Council'."

The wake has been set up in Special Room 1 of the Inha University Hospital Funeral Hall. The procession will take place at 9:30 a.m. on the 22nd. The burial site is Seonsan, Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon Metropolitan City.

The late Jang Chang-seon was a living history of Korean wrestling and a pioneer who led the globalization of Korean sports. He won silver medals at the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1966, he won the gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships in Toledo, USA, becoming the first South Korean athlete to win a world championship title, setting a new milestone in the history of South Korean sports.

At that time, the first-ever world championship victory by a Korean athlete brought great pride and hope to the people, marking a turning point for South Korean sports to gain competitiveness on the global stage.

Even after retiring from active competition, he served as a national team coach, executive vice president and vice president of the Korea Wrestling Association, head coach of Samsung Life Wrestling, and director of Taereung Training Center, dedicating himself to nurturing future generations and advancing sports in South Korea.

In particular, he contributed to establishing the system for overseas training camps, laying the foundation for operating Taereung Training Center, and creating the groundwork for the Performance Improvement Research Fund (Sports Fund). As the first gold medalist to serve as director of Taereung Training Center, he led the development of elite sports in South Korea. Additionally, he served as a member of the organizing committee for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, making significant contributions to the development of local sports.

For these achievements, he was awarded the In Jeong-bat-a (President) Commendation (1964, 1994), the Republic of Korea Sports Award (1965), the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Mugunghwa Medal) in 1970, and the Baengma Medal for Sports Merit in 1985. In recognition of his contributions to the development of sports in South Korea, he was selected as a Hero of the Republic of Korea Sports in 2014 and enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Yoo Seung-min (Chairman) stated, "The late Jang Chang-seon was the first world championship gold medalist in South Korea, pioneering a new history for South Korean sports." He added, "We will remember and inherit the noble spirit and achievements of the deceased, who dedicated his life to the nation and the development of sports, together with all athletes in South Korea for a long time," expressing his condolences.

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*This content was translated by AI.