Song Duk-ki

Song Duk-ki (1893–1987) is the most important figure in the survival and revival of Taekkyon—the ancient Korean foot-fighting art. By the mid-20th century, Song was the last known master to retain full knowledge of the traditional Taekkyon curriculum, having learned it before the Japanese colonial period’s systematic suppression of Korean culture. His willingness to teach and pass on the art to a new generation—particularly to Shin Han-seung, who became the primary force behind Taekkyon’s modern revival—is the sole reason the living tradition survived into the modern era. In recognition of his role as the living repository of Taekkyon, the Korean government designated Song Duk-ki a Human Cultural Asset (Intangible Cultural Property No. 76) in 1983.