Chang started doing taekwondo at the age of 5 under the teachings of his father, Chang Dae-young, who was a taekwondo instructor in Baltimore, Maryland.

"Americans thought of Korea as just some small country in the east, but it was heart-filling to see how their image of Korea changed for the better through taekwondo," Chang's father said. I thought of myself as a civilian diplomat who widened understanding between the two countries and did my best to teach taekwondo."

Chang started winning competitions at a taekwondo tournament in Los Angeles in 1999. In February 2003 he won a gold medal at a national contest for college students in the United States, and was selected for America's national taekwondo team going to the Daegu Universiade.

Chang's sister Young-shin also does taekwondo. She ranked second in a world junior taekwondo competition last year. However, she could not attend the Universiade because she is set to compete at the Pan-America Contest as a member of the U.S. national taekwondo team in October.

Chang majored in law and biology at George Washington University, where he graduated in May. Chang said he has not decided what to do with his life, but will be preparing for either law school or medical school.

"A year after the L.A. riots, Maryland made April 27 the day for taekwondo," he said. "Taekwondo not only shows the excellence of the Korean people but also contributes to racial harmony. Even if I become a judge or a doctor I want to keep on doing taekwondo." (Choi Hyung-seok, cogito@chosun.com )