In 2003, in his third year at Hwasun Middle School, he was selected for the national team. The year he turned 18, he won the German Open men’s doubles with Jung Jae-sung and the triple crown at the World Junior Championships. That year he also won bronze in men’s doubles at the Doha Asian Games. In 2007 he joined Samsung Electro-Mechanics and won the Swiss Open mixed doubles with Lee Hyo-jung. In August he and Jung Jae-sung finished runners-up in men’s doubles at the World Championships.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 20, he won the All England Open men’s doubles in March, and in August he won Olympic mixed doubles gold at Beijing with Lee Hyo-jung. It was Korean badminton’s first Olympic gold in this event in 12 years, and his name became widely known along with the wink after the match.
In 2009 he won the BWF Super Series Masters Finals men’s doubles with Jung Jae-sung. In 2010 he won bronze in men’s doubles at the Guangzhou Asian Games. In 2011 he won the French Open men’s doubles. In 2012 he won bronze in men’s doubles at the London Olympics with Jung Jae-sung.
In 2013 he paired with Yoo Yeon-seong in men’s doubles. In 2014 the BWF’s suspension decision was cancelled, and at the Incheon Asian Games he won gold in the men’s team event and silver in men’s doubles. In 2015 he and Yoo Yeon-seong won titles at seven tournaments and reached world No. 1. In 2016 he lost in the Rio Olympics quarterfinals, and in October he left the national team.
In 2017 he moved to the Yonex badminton team and married. In August he won his first title since leaving the national team, and in November he played as a doubles pair with Yoo Yeon-seong for the first time in 13 months. In December 2018 his team said that a divorce mediation had been filed. In November 2019 he was left off the national team trial list, ending his bid for the Tokyo Olympics.
In 2022 he appeared on MBN’s Kukdaeneun Kukdaeda in an episode with a singles match against Ha Tae-kwon. In 2023 a tournament named after him was held for the first time in his hometown of Hwasun. In December 2024 he was inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame.
In 2025 he went to the All England Open as a temporary guest coach, and Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho won the men’s doubles. In 2026 he worked as an SBS commentator for badminton at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Lee Yong-dae (born Sep 11, 1988) was selected for the national team in 2003, the year he turned 15, and became known when he won Olympic mixed doubles gold at Beijing on Aug 17, 2008, the year he turned 20. He won men’s doubles bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
02 / QUICK ANSWERS
Q & AFrequently asked
- How old was Lee Yong-dae when he joined the national team?
- In 2003, the year he turned 15. Kyunghyang Shinmun writes that he was selected for the national team in his third year at Hwasun Middle School. His first international title was the German Open men’s doubles on Jan 16, 2006, when he was 17 years, 4 months and 5 days old.
- How old was Lee Yong-dae when he became famous?
- In 2008, the year he turned 20, when he won mixed doubles gold with Lee Hyo-jung at the Beijing Olympics. Asia Economy wrote that he shot to stardom after the gold medal. Before that, badminton coverage had treated him as a rising prospect.
- What Olympic medals did Lee Yong-dae win?
- In 2008, the year he turned 20, he won mixed doubles gold at Beijing, and in 2012, the year he turned 24, men’s doubles bronze with Jung Jae-sung at London. In 2016, the year he turned 28, he lost in the men’s doubles quarterfinals at Rio.
- When was Lee Yong-dae inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame?
- The BWF announced it on Dec 3, 2024, the year he turned 36. He is the 10th Korean player.
- How old is Lee Yong-dae?
- Born in 1988, he turns 38 in 2026 (38 as of Oct 3, 2026).