Consider the Source in Taekwondo Story

The story that appeared on May 6 regarding the marketing of the World Taekwondo Federation equipment did not include the following facts, which entirely alter the thrust of the article:

* 1. Century Martial Art Supply, correctly identified as a company without rights to market WTF equipment, negotiated with our federation for those rights but ultimately refused to pay the same price that eight sanctioned competitors, worldwide, agreed to pay.

* 2. Mr. Herb Perez, their spokesman and paid representative who was the source for your article, previously was expelled from the U.S. Taekwondo Union for violations of ethics rules. Beyond the inaccuracy of his complaints to the U.S. Olympic Committee--which were leaked to your newspaper--his bitterness against past associates at the U.S. Taekwondo Union discredits his reliability as a source, particularly where he has a clear conflict of financial interest.

* 3. Figures quoted for the number of people engaged in Taekwondo in the United States wildly exaggerates the number involved in WTF activities. Approximately 30,000 of them are involved, compared to the 6 million cited in your article. Also, the sales prices and figures are exaggerated as well.

* 4. Since Taekwondo was designated as an official Olympic sport, to debut at Sydney in 2000, our WTF has vigorously acted against dozens of companies that produce counterfeit versions of our uniforms and equipment.

* 5. While many companies adhere to WTF standards and practices in Korea, where Taekwondo is the national sport, several of them continue to apply Korean Olympic Committee logos to sports equipment (including Taekwondo gear) without approval from the KOC. It is possible, if not likely, that the articles referred to in your article came to your attention through those sources.

KUM HONG LEE, Secretary General, World Taekwondo Federation

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Regrettably, as so often happens even in the best of newspapers, the headline writer who had only a few moments to succinctly put some excitement into a story that he or she didn’t write, produces a gross inaccuracy. Dr. Un Yong Kim, the headlined “IOC Official,” is not under “New Scrutiny.” In fact, just the opposite is true. Virtually a few hours before that headline was written, he was cleared of allegations received by the IOC.

Even Dick Pound, who led the recent IOC investigations, says, in the piece, that this issue is an “internal federation matter.” It has nothing to do with the IOC. It must have been difficult for Dr. Kim’s chief rival to succeed President Juan Antonio Samaranch to make that admission, after retaining private investigators and one of the world’s leading public relations firms to advance his personal agenda, at the expense of Dr. Kim.

WILLIAM SCHECTER, New York