League of Legends World Champion Faker Awarded With Cheongyeong Medal

Faker, a six-time League of Legends world champion, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, received the Cheongyeong Medal from South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

The award, which translates to "Blue Dragon," is given to an athlete who achieves exceptional international success. Faker, who plays for the esports organization T1, is the first esports player to receive the award, with other recipients including Son Heung-min (Football), Kim Yuna (Figure Skating), Park Chan-ho (Baseball), and Park Se-ri (Golf). 

More About the Award

Faker receiving this award is notable, as he is again the first esports player to receive it. Typically, the award had been earned by those in more traditional sports or for Olympic-level play. South Korea has five "Medal of Sports" awards, including Cheongyeong, Maengho, Geosang, Baekma, and Girin. Cheongyeong is the highest among them all. 

In 2025, Faker won his sixth world title in League of Legends after taking down KT Rolster in the Grand Final. He's also the first player ever to record 1,000 kills in international tournaments.

In August 2025, Faker brought home more hardware, winning the Esports PC Player of the Decade award at the Esports Decade Awards ceremony that was held in Saudi Arabia. 

Faker's Comment

In a Naver (translated to English), Faker had this to say: 

“It is a great personal honor to receive this medal representing the Republic of Korea. I am able to stand here today thanks to my colleagues and teammates who have worked hard with me until now. I hope that this medal will bring a little joy and pride to everyone who cherishes Korean esports.”

He continued, “This would not have been possible without the support of the fans who have always been by my side,” adding, “I will continue to do my best at every moment to deliver positive messages both on and off the field and elevate the status of Korean esports.”

From there, his agency, Fanable, added: “This medal is an encouraging milestone that has once again impressed upon the world the status of South Korea as a leading esports nation. We find it very meaningful that Lee Sang-hyeok’s historic journey has been honored as the pride of Korean esports.”

More Faker Success

In addition to these awards, Faker has been involved in several collaborations, including a partnership with McDonald's to promote a limited-time item benefiting a charity and a collaboration with Razer on a new mouse mat designed in partnership with Faker. 

We'll see what Faker and T1 can accomplish in 2026. The team extended Faker's teammate, Oner, through 2028