A local taekwondo instructor faces a total of 10 charges for allegedly abusing two students under the age of 16 dating back to 1998.

King Yeung, 57, the chief instructor at Kang’s Taekwondo Academy on McPhillips Street, was first arrested at the academy and charged with five offences on May 4. On May 9, Yeung was re-arrested and charged again with the same five offences related to a second victim. He was remanded into custody, police said Tuesday.

“Recently, our sex crimes unit became involved in a historic sexual assault investigation stemming back to April of 2009,” said Inspector Kelly Dennison, who is in charge of special investigations.

While enrolled at the academy, the student told police, a personal relationship began with the male instructor, then 50. The instructor allegedly began touching the student inappropriately and, between 2009 and 2011, the sexual advances increased to two or three times a week.

In January 2010, the instructor drove the victim and other students to Alberta for a taekwondo tournament. The student was again sexually assaulted during this trip, police said.

Over time, the victim ended the relationship, then notified police.

“Just recently, a second victim has come forward and made contact with our sex crimes unit,” Dennison said. “In 1998, a student, also under 16 years of age, joined the same taekwondo academy. Over the next six years, this victim was inappropriately touched and sexually assaulted by the same instructor.”

Police would not specify the gender of the victims.

Police have charged Yeung with two counts each of sexual assault — child abuse; sexual exploitation; sexual interference; corrupting morals; and invitation to sexual touching.

Police are encouraging any other sex-abuse victims at the academy or anywhere else to step forward.

“One of the main reasons that I’m here today is just to let people know that if there are any victims of sexual assault that there are supports for them within the police service and within our community,” said Dennison.

Yeung was still listed as an instructor on the academy’s website Tuesday afternoon. A man who answered the phone there said: “We don’t know anything, no comment. Have a nice day, goodbye.”

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact police at 204-986-6245 or Crime Stoppers at 204-784-TIPS (8477).

CHARGES LAID

King Yeung is presumed innocent. He has been charged with: