Masters Jun Chul and Sung Chul Whang
Masters Sung Chul and Jun Chul Whang, born May 19, 1964 in Tokyo, Japan, began studying Taekwondo at the age of 6 in Manila, Philippines. Following their father, a career diplomat for the Korean government, Masters Whang lived in Seoul, Manila, Buenos Aires, Kobe and Fukuoka (Japan); finally moving to the US in 1979. Both graduated from Dartmouth College in 1986 and Cornell Law School in 1989. At Dartmouth, they co-founded the Dartmouth Taekwondo Team and the Ivy Northeast Collegiate Taekwondo League. At Cornell, they co-founded the Cornell Taekwondo program with Master Han Don Cho. In 1990, Master Whang, Sr. received his LL.M. in International Legal Studies from the NYU School of Law, and Master Whang, Jr. received his LL.M., in International Law (with Distinction) from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Since 1990, both Masters Whang have been practicing law. Master Whang, Sr., is the Inhouse Counsel of Olayan America Corporation. Master Whang was formerly a partner at the New York law firm of Phillips Nizer LLP. Master Whang and Sue Lim have two sons, Derek and Dylan.
Master Whang, Jr., is a partner with Jacob Medinger & Finnegan LLP, specializing in complex multi-jurisdictional product liability defense work.
Masters Whang were actively involved in the US Taekwondo Union. Master Whang Sr. has served a Legal Counsel to the USTU, and Master Whang Jr. served as Tournament Committee co-chairman.
Masters Whang have also devoted considerable time and effort to coaching elite athletes at the national and international levels. Master Whang Sr. has served on the coaching staff for both the US National Team and the US National Collegiate Team. Master Whang Jr. coached at two consecutive World Championships as National Team Coach for Trindidad & Tobago (Korea 2001; Germany 2003). Master Whang Jr. was also Trinidad Olympic Coach at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he coached long-time student and athlete Chinedum Osuji.
In 1999, Masters Whang, along with former student and now Master Instructor Brandon Saltz, and Grand Master Dae Sung Lee, authored Taekwondo - The State of the Art, the first book on Taekwondo from a major mainstream publishing house (Broadway Books, a division of Random House Publishing). It remains the most one of the most highly regarded and popular books on modern Taekwondo today.
