Lee Hyo-kun

Lee Hyo-kun (; born 7 August 1967), also romanized as Lee Hyo-Geun, Lee Hyo Kun and Hyo Kun Lee, is a South Korean former fencer and fencing coach. He competed for South Korea in men's sabre fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Lee was selected for the South Korean men's sabre national team while attending Hongik High School and competed internationally for South Korea for about 12 years. After his competitive career, he became a fencing coach. He was the founding coach of the fencing team at Dong-eui University and has been credited in Korean media with helping establish sabre fencing in Busan. He later served as a coach for South Korea's national sabre teams. In 2023, WFAA reported that he was head coach of Globus Fencing Academy in North Texas.

Early life and education Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1967. He was educated in Seoul, graduating from Samseon Elementary School in 1980, Hongik Middle School in 1983 and Hongik High School in 1986. He entered Korea National Sport University in 1986 and graduated on 24 February 1990, the same date on which he obtained a second-grade secondary school teacher certification.

Lee entered the graduate school of Korea National Sport University on 1 March 1990 and completed his graduate studies on 25 February 1997.

Competitive career Lee was selected for the South Korean men's sabre national team in October 1984 while attending Hongik High School. Busan Ilbo reported in 2013 that Lee had led the Dong-eui University fencing team since its founding and that the team won consecutive team titles at the National Sports Festival in 2003 and 2004.

Newsis reported that Lee helped plant the roots of sabre fencing in Busan by founding teams at Yangun Middle School and Shindo High School before developing the Dong-eui University team.

Lee was appointed competition director of the Korea University Fencing Federation on 21 April 2009. In January 2015, he became a coach of the South Korean men's national sabre team. Dong-eui University reported that he participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics as a South Korean sabre coach. His career record states that a sabre athlete he coached won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In January 2017, Lee became a coach of the South Korean women's national sabre team. Newsis also reported that he had served as a coach of the South Korean women's national sabre team. Lee remained Dong-eui University's fencing coach until 2017, retiring from the position in December of that year. His career record states that he introduced Busan's first sabre fencing program at Dong-eui University.

In 2018, Lee moved to the United States, where he founded Globus Fencing Academy and became its head coach. WFAA reported in 2023 that he was head coach of Globus Fencing Academy in North Texas. His career record states that the academy has regularly produced students admitted to Ivy League and other selective universities in the United States.

Awards and qualifications 3 December 1990: Received the Girin Medal of the Order of Sport Merit. 25 January 1991: Received the Korean Fencing Federation Best Athlete Award. 22 December 1997: Obtained a first-class sports instructor qualification. 21 February 2003: Received a Prime Minister's Commendation for service as secretary-general of the Asia-Pacific Games for the Disabled. 16 February 2004: Received the Korean Fencing Federation Best Coach Award. 28 February 2005: Received the Busan Sports Award for excellence in coaching. 25 March 2005: Received the Baengma Medal of the Order of Sport Merit. 20 December 2006: Received a coaching award from the Busan Metropolitan Sports Instructors Association.

International competition record Year Competition Location Event / result 1985 World Junior Championships Netherlands Competed 1986 World Junior Championships Germany Competed 1987 World Junior Championships Brazil Competed 1987 World Championships Switzerland Competed 1987 Universiade Yugoslavia Competed 1988 1988 Summer Olympics Seoul, South Korea Men's team sabre, 11th 1989 World Championships United States Competed 1989 Asian Fencing Championships China Team sabre, 1st 1990 World Championships France Competed 1990 1990 Asian Games Beijing, China Team sabre, silver medal 1991 World Championships Hungary Competed 1991 Asian Fencing Championships Malaysia Team sabre, 2nd; individual sabre, 3rd 1993 World Championships Germany Competed 1993 Asian Fencing Championships Japan Team sabre, 1st 1994 1994 Asian Games Hiroshima, Japan Individual sabre, silver medal; team sabre, silver medal 1996 1996 Summer Olympics Atlanta, United States Men's individual sabre, 38th; men's team sabre, 11th