Lee Dae-hoon is a former South Korean taekwondo athlete with world first-level rankings in the under 149 lb (68 kg) weight class. He won bronze and silver medals in Summer Olympics.
At 18, he made headlines by winning gold in the 2010 Asian Games in his senior international debut.
Former taekwondo athlete Lee is nicknamed a ‘Baby-faced Assassin’ because of his innocent face with a fierce kick. Except for the gold medal in the Olympics, Lee has won many other championships.
Lee was best known for being the best-prepared fighter on the mats. His fighting style differed from others as he studied his opponents and acted accordingly.
After losing the bronze medal in the men’s 149 lb category in the Summer Olympics 2020, he retired from taekwondo on July 25, 2021.
This article will dig into South Korean taekwondo champion’s life, career achievements, net worth, and more.
But before that, let’s glance at quick facts about him.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lee Dae-hoon |
| Nickname | “Baby-faced Assassin” |
| Birthdate | February 5, 1992 |
| Birthplace | Seoul, South Korea |
| Residence | South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| Religion | Not Known |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Age | 32 Years Old |
| Father’s Name | Lee Joo Yeol |
| Mother’s Name | Unknown |
| Sibling | Unknown |
| High School | Hansung High School |
| Education | Graduated in Sport, Leisure & Culture |
| University | Yongin University |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Ahn Yu-Shin |
| Children | Ye-Shun (Son) |
| Profession | Former Taekwondo Practitioner |
| Club | Yongin University |
| Coach | Lee Joo Yoel |
| Height | 6 ft / 183 cm / 1.83 cm |
| Weight | 68 kg / 150 lb |
| Build | Slim |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Language | Korean (Hangul) |
| Awards & Achievements |
|
| Net Worth | $1 Million |
| Salary | Unknown |
| Retirement | July 25, 2021 |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Unavailable |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life & Education
Lee Dae-hoon, the Seoul native, started his taekwondo journey at his father’s dojang (dojo) when he was a toddler.
His father, Lee Joo Yeol, a practitioner, ran a taekwondo gym which became the little Lee Dae-hoon’s playground.
Instead of attending kindergarten, he received child care at his parent’s taekwondo academy. From age 5, he practiced martial art at his father’s academy.
Lee believes that running around the academy increased his stamina and physical strength, which is why he was ahead of others at his age.
Moreover, his love for it grew immensely growing up in a family with a taekwondo background. Thus, Baby-faced Assassin pursued it as a career.
Thus, longevity and genetics were two major elements for Lee Dae-hoon’s success in taekwondo.
Before Fame
In the third grade, Lee competed for the first time and won the competition.
From that day onwards, he played taekwondo, while his family supported his decision and helped him to become the best at what he did.
Once, Lee said that he would not work in the office but would indulge in another sport, if not for taekwondo.
He attended Seoul’s Yongin University, where he studied Sport, Leisure & Culture and began playing taekwondo professionally.
As a university student, he trained four training sessions a day and would run at night to lose weight as he played at 127 lb because he ran so much that his heart and lung capacity got amazing.
The taekwondo star was coached by his father, Lee Joo Yoel. He trained him from an early age and won many international and national championships under his guidance.
Yoel even coached him for his last game in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Age & Body Measurement
As a former taekwondo player, Lee Dae-hoon is a complete package. He is tall, slim, and has long legs with perfect flexibility.
Baby-faced Assassin is known for his fitness and ability.
As of 2024, he is 32 years old, but he still looks like he is in his early 20’s.
Lee stands at 1.83 meters and weighs 150 lb; however, his other body measurements are unavailable.
Professional Career
At 18, Lee Dae-hoon made headlines by winning the gold medal in the 2010 Asian games in his international debut game.
He temporarily went to flyweight (under 127 lb) to compete in the 2011 World Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he lost his first international game to Gabriel Mercedes.
After that, he won gold at the Gyeongju Asian Games in the same year and rose to fame.
At the London Olympics, he represented South Korea and won silver while losing to Joel Gonzalez from Spain.
He secured gold at the 2013 World Taekwondo championships in Puebla, Mexico. Likewise, again won the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea.
In 2015, he took Grand Prix gold in both Manchester and Mexico City while securing silver in Moscow and bronze in Samsun.
Lee participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics with a natural weight of 150 lb and won bronze.
In 2017, he was honored with the Male Player of the Year award.
After his retirement, the Korea Taekwondo Federation gave Lee a Special Athlete of the Year award on January 23, 2022.
Wael Fawaz Al-Farraj picked Lee Dae-hoon as his favorite taekwondo player while delivering a speech at UNHCR. He shared his admiration for the Baby-faced Assassin.
Famous Killer Kick
During his career in taekwondo, Dae-hoon was a method practitioner. He analyzed and studied the opponent and acted accordingly.
His kicks were praiseworthy, and it is said that they were not just hard but accurate like a machine.
He was considered a dangerous combination of natural talent and super training. According to Iran’s master fighter Mahdi Khodabahshki, “He is a legend in taekwondo.”
Haby Niara, Team France’s Rio silver medalist, considered him the best fighter.
Tokyo Olympics 2020 & Retirement
Two-times Taekwondo Olympic Medalist Lee Dae-hoon announced retirement after losing the bronze medal in the men’s 150 lb match at the Tokyo Olympics. Only a moment after the crushing loss, Lee called it quits.
Baby-faced Assassin, who played at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games at Makuhari Messe Hall A on July 25, 2021, failed to obtain a medal.
With people’s high expectations, Lee Dae-hoon was shocked by this defeat. Moreover, he expected a gold medal, this time in the Olympics.
He felt sorry for everyone who supported him and wanted to stop doing that for the sake of the young generation. Dae-hoon played for 12 years for the national team.
Once, Lee admitted that playing in a national team in a row was not easy. Also, it is rare to see athletes appear in succession at the Olympics, where only one person is selected in a weight class.
The former taekwondo player is recognized as the best taekwondo player in the world. Representing his country internationally for 12 years is no less than winning an Olympic medal.
Life After Retirement
Lee lived a successful athlete’s life, and people perceived him as the best player in taekwondo.
However, after investing over a decade of his life in taekwondo, he wanted to make room for new generations.
After retirement, he wanted to gain more professional knowledge, teach younger athletes, and develop another great player.
He took an integrated master’s and doctoral course in physical education at Sejong University.
As he planned to become the best coach, he wanted to master communication. As per his belief, communication is the way to become a good leader.
When he played professionally, he would train and change techniques, but now he wants to make a player who goes beyond that.
Wife & Son
Lee Dae-hoon married Ahn Yu-Shin in March 2019 and has a son named Ye-Shun.
However, we couldn’t find other personal information about Ahn Yu-Shin and the baby of this beautiful couple.
After Lee’s retirement, Ahn Yu-Shin dedicated a letter to her beloved husband on Instagram.
She wrote how proud she is of Dae-hoon for shining as the best taekwondo player and not giving up but doing his best until the end.
While getting married, Lee feared that his career would end, but the love and support he received from his wife showed him a new, better path.
As of 2023, the former taekwondo player is in the television show ‘Let’s Play Soccer,’ whose first season was released in 2021.
He also participated in the ‘legendfestival’ show in 2022.
On 28 February 2023, Sports Figure NFT launched Lee’s action figure at NFT Marketplace Para, celebrating his first medal-winning moment.
He announced this news through his Instagram and requested all his fans and followers to support him.
Net Worth
Dae-hoon’s net worth is estimated at around $1 million as of 2024. He has earned his fortune through a successful taekwondo career and brand deals that came along.
Social Media Presence
Lee Dae-hoon is active on Instagram.
He has numerous fansites dedicated to posting his achievements, pictures, and games, which proves how much the fans and supporters adore him.
Dae-hoon posts adorable pictures of his toddler son and updates about his quality time with the baby. He also keeps updating about his wife, friends, games, and family.
Going through his Insta profile, one can tell he is a movie maniac and has posted about his favorite movies.
Instagram (lee.dae.hoon) – 138k Followers
Popularity Graph
Lee Dae-hoon retired from taekwondo in 2021 after being unable to secure a medal at the 2020 Olympics.
The popularity graph shows the wavelength from the last 12 months. He was highly searched because of the information regarding his retirement, wife, and networth.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQS)
Why did Lee Dae-hoon retire?
Lee Dae-hoon had participated in taekwondo representing his country South Korea for almost 12 years. He wanted to give a chance to the new generation. Lee thus decided to quit after competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Where is Lee Dae-hoon ranked in taekwondo?
How many gold medals does Lee Dae-hoon have?
In his taekwondo career, Lee secured 20 gold medals from competitions. He tried to secure the gold medal in the Olympics, but unfortunately, it never happened.
