Fighting Dirty

No person has done more for Taekwondo than Kim Un Yong. When he took over the newly formed World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) three decades ago, the Korean martial art was viewed as a crude form of Japan's karate. Today, millions practice the sport worldwide, and four years ago it became a medal sport at the Sydney Olympics.

As Taekwondo grew, so did Kim's stature: he became the sports czar of South Korea and, last July, a vice president of the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.). "He had the power to do anything," says a Korean sports journalist. "He...