Faker receives South Korea’s highest honor for athletes from the president

On Thursday, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok was awarded the Cheongnyong Medal (Blue Dragon) by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, the highest distinction a South Korean athlete can receive, in recognition of his achievements in League of Legends, including six World Championship titles and a gold medal at the Asian Games 2022. The Cheongnyong Medal is the first class of the Order of Sports Merit, a South Korean state order established in 1973.

Faker therefore becomes the first esports athlete to receive this distinction, further highlighting how South Korea recognizes esports as a discipline in its own right, deserving the same respect and rewards as traditional sports, with LoL being the most popular game in the world and Faker its undisputed figurehead.

To receive the Blue Dragon Medal, specific criteria and a point system were established—1,500 points in total, to be exact. Each competition a player wins or finishes on the podium earns them points. For his six World Championships, Faker earned 900 points (150 each). For his two lost finals, he earned 200 points (100 each), and for his two semifinal appearances, he gained 120 points (60 each). Finally, his victory at the 2022 Asian Games earned him 200 points, and his final appearance in 2018 brought 135 points.

This puts him at 1,555 points. This calculation was done manually by Sheep Esports and is not an official figure from the ceremony that awarded him the medal. In the past, some athletes have received the medal without necessarily meeting these criteria, such as footballer Son Heung-Min after winning the Golden Boot in the 2021–22 Premier League.

Faker has been competing in professional LoL since early 2013 and is now entering his 14th year with the only team he has ever played for, T1, with whom he remains under contract until 2029. A true living legend, not just in LoL but in esports as a whole.

He has amassed an unparalleled record over the years: six World Championship titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024, and 2025), two Mid-Season Invitational victories (2016 and 2017), ten LCK titles, and a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games, which granted him exemption from mandatory military service. Kim Yuna, Olympic figure skating champion and a national and global sports icon and Sohn Kee‑chung, a marathoner and gold medalist at the 1936 Olympics and a major historical figure in Korean sports, are among the other biggest names in the country to have also been decorated.