Kukkiwon

Kukkiwon, also known as "The World Taekwondo Headquarters," is the official governing organization, sanctioned by the South Korean government, to oversee all things related to Tae Kwon Do. It establishes/maintains standards, grants/registers black belts, and defines the sport of Tae Kwon Do, for the International Olympic Committee, so that fair, standardized Tae Kwon Do competition can be a part of the Olympic Games. More about Kukkiwon.

Over the years unscrupulous individuals have counterfeited Kukkiwon black belt certificates. In an attempt to combat this Kukkiwon changes their certificates, from time to time, introducing elements into the certificate that make it harder to counterfeit. The three most recent versions of Kukkiwon black belt certificates appear below starting with the current version.