In a sport built on respect, Burnaby’s Songchul Kim receives plenty of it wherever he goes in the world of taekwondo. But he deserves it because he’s built that respect over more than three decades.

Kim rose through the refereeing ranks to become vice-chair of the World Taekwondo Federation’s referee committee.

In his 35 years in the sport, Kim has officiated at competitions in every corner of the globe. His stops include Azerbaijan, Denmark, Mexico, China, Bangkok, Egypt, Puerto Rico and Peru – to name just a few – as well as the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. He went on to be chair of the referee committee for World Taekwondo overseeing the refereeing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021).

In December 2016, Master Kim was named the federation’s male referee of the year. Thanks to the universal respect he has garnered over the decades, Kim was a big influence in helping Burnaby secure the 2016 World Junior Taekwondo Championships. Kim has been the owner and operator of SC Kim’s Taekwondo in Burnaby since 1994.

He was secretary-treasurer (2000-2009) and vice-president (2009-2015) of the BC Taekwondo Federation before becoming the organization’s president.