If there is a pro in League of Legends that most players know, it is Faker. The South Korean LoL legend has now been honored in his homeland with a special medal.
What kind of honor is this? According to the South Korean website kmib.co.kr, Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, received the Cheongnyong Medal (Blue Dragon) from South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. This is the highest sports merit award in the country, which has been awarded since 1973 to athletes who have achieved special accomplishments in their field. It is essentially the Hall of Fame of South Korean sports.
Faker is thus the first e-sports athlete in the country to receive the medal. Other well-known athletes with this award include soccer player Son Heung-min. German soccer fans know him from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, where he played between 2013 and 2015 in 62 matches.
Faker thanks his colleagues and fans
What does Faker say about his award? According to kmib.co.kr, Faker reportedly said the following during the presentation:
It is a great personal honor for me to receive this medal for the Republic of Korea. That I can stand here today is thanks to my colleagues and teammates who have worked hard with me until now. I hope this medal brings a little joy and pride to everyone who appreciates Korean e-sports.
He reportedly also thanked his fans, who have always supported him. He wants to continue giving his best and convey positive messages
in and out of the game.
His agency, Fanable, also commented on the awarding of the medal. They emphasized that the medal shows South Korea’s status as a leading e-sports nation
.
A video of the award ceremony can be viewed here on Reddit:
What has Faker achieved? Faker is the most successful LoL player of all time. His career began in 2013 with Team T1 (then still SK Telecom T1), where he is still the midlaner today. During this time, Faker has won the World Championship in LoL 6 times.
Apart from that, he has also won several tournaments like the Asia Games. This allowed him to even avoid military service in South Korea, which ended another professional career in 2025. Despite being comparatively high in age for a LoL pro (29), there is currently no end of his career in sight. His contract with T1 was extended in November 2025 until November 19, 2029.
Faker is such a famous e-sporter that many people know him who don’t play League of Legends. But he is not invincible either. At least that was shown by a fan in a duel against the LoL legend: Faker is a 6-time World Champion in LoL, loses to a fan, reacts in shock when he learns his rank
