In 1992, the year he turned 11, he saw a bow displayed in the faculty office of Yeonmu Central Elementary School in South Chungcheong and joined the archery team. In 1998, he won both the individual and team events at the World Junior Championships, and also both events at the national championships in Korea. In 1999, in his third year at Chungnam Sports High School, he was selected for the senior national team for the first time and competed at the World Championships.
In 2000, he failed to make the Sydney Olympics team in the trials, and a slump began. He finished his military service with the Armed Forces Athletic Corps, but no corporate team would take him. In 2007, he won a team bronze medal at the Asian Championships. In 2008, he joined Hyundai Steel at the call of coach Jang Young-sool but was released for a time because of poor results. While preparing to come back, he also failed to make the Beijing Olympics team.
In 2009, back on the national team, he set a world record in the individual ranking round at the Ulsan World Championships and led a come-from-behind team title with his last arrow. In 2010, he won team gold at the Guangzhou Asian Games. At the 2011 Turin World Championships, he won individual silver and team gold.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 31, he beat Takaharu Furukawa of Japan 7-1 on set points in the men’s individual final at the London Olympics, for Korea’s first Olympic individual gold in men’s archery. In the team event he took bronze.
In 2013, he won the individual event at both World Cup stage 1 and stage 2, and at the World Championships took individual silver and mixed team gold. In February 2014, he married, and in September he beat Yong Zhiwei of China 6-4 on set points in the individual final at the Incheon Asian Games to win gold.
In 2015, he was eliminated in the round of 96 of the individual event at the Copenhagen World Championships but won gold in the team event. In 2016, he placed sixth in the final trials for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics team and did not qualify. In 2017, he won team bronze at the Mexico City World Championships and was told that only one of his four rotator cuff tendons remained, and advised to retire.
In 2018, at the Jakarta–Palembang Asian Games, he beat China 5-3 on set points in the team semifinal but lost to Chinese Taipei in the final and took silver. In 2019, he won team gold at the Asian Championships in Bangkok, and in October received the Order of Sports Merit, Cheongnyong Medal.
The year he turned 40, he beat Chinese Taipei 6-0 on set score in the men’s team final at the Tokyo Olympics and won gold. He said a short word meaning “end” as he shot the last arrow, and it landed in the 10 ring. In the individual round of 32 he lost to Atanu Das of India in a shoot-off and was eliminated. In September, he won team gold again at the Yankton World Championships. In 2023, he beat India 5-1 on set points in the men’s team final at the Hangzhou Asian Games to win gold, the first team title in 13 years, since 2010.
In September 2024, the year he turned 43, he ended his playing career by receiving a plaque of appreciation for his retirement in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang. In 2025, he began coaching with the Hyundai Steel archery team, teaching young prospects who were on age-group national teams. In 2026, he was named coach of the national men’s recurve team preparing for the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games.
Oh Jin-hyek (born Aug 15, 1981) debuted in 1999, the year he turned 18, when he was selected for the senior national team as a third-year student at Chungnam Sports High School, and became known on Aug 4, 2012, the year he turned 31, when he won the individual gold medal at the London Olympics, Korea’s first in men’s archery. In 2024, the year he turned 43, he held his retirement ceremony.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
In 1992, in fifth grade at Yeonmu Central Elementary School in Nonsan, South Chungcheong, he saw a bow displayed in the faculty office and joined the archery team.
Source 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sports Q (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek looks back on his career · opens in a new tabWon both the individual and team events at the World Junior Championships. He also swept the individual and team events at the national championships in Korea.
Source 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabSource 01 · FT Sports (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek announces retirement · opens in a new tabIn 1999, in his third year at Chungnam Sports High School, he was selected for the senior national team for the first time and competed at the World Championships.
Source 01 · FT Sports (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek announces retirement · opens in a new tabSource 03 · MyDaily via Naver Sports (Korean) · Who is Oh Jin-hyek, who rewrote men’s archery history · opens in a new tabHe failed to make the Sydney Olympics team in the trials, and a slump began. He finished his military service with the Armed Forces Athletic Corps, but no corporate team would take him.
Source 03 · MyDaily via Naver Sports (Korean) · Who is Oh Jin-hyek, who rewrote men’s archery history · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabWon a bronze medal in the team event at the Asian Championships.
Source 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.He joined Hyundai Steel at the call of coach Jang Young-sool but was released for a time because of poor results. While preparing to come back, he also failed to make the Beijing Olympics team.
Source 03 · MyDaily via Naver Sports (Korean) · Who is Oh Jin-hyek, who rewrote men’s archery history · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab The timing of his joining and release could not be confirmed.Back on the national team, he competed at the World Championships in Ulsan. He set a world record of 1,386 points in the individual ranking round, and in the team final he put his last arrow in the 10 ring to turn the match around against France and secure a fifth straight team gold.
Source 06 · The Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek hits a world record · opens in a new tabSource 07 · The Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Ulsan World Championships, men’s and women’s team titles · opens in a new tab He was then with Nongsusan Home Shopping.Won gold in the men’s archery team event at the Guangzhou Asian Games with Lim Dong-hyun and Kim Woo-jin. It was an eighth straight team title.
Source 08 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Eighth straight men’s team gold · opens in a new tabLost the individual final at the Turin World Championships to his teammate Kim Woo-jin 6-2 on set points and took silver. In the team event he kept the title for a sixth straight time.
Source 09 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Kim Woo-jin wins two golds, sixth straight men’s team title · opens in a new tabIn the men’s individual final at the London Olympics he beat Takaharu Furukawa of Japan 7-1 on set points for Korea’s first Olympic individual gold in men’s archery. Since Korea first competed in Olympic archery at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, its men had won only three silver medals and one bronze in the individual event; in the team event at London he took bronze.
Won the individual event at both World Cup stage 1 and stage 2. In the final of stage 2 in Antalya, Turkey, he beat Juan René Serrano of Mexico 7-1 on set points, and he added gold in both the men’s and women’s team events.
Source 10 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek, the double winner · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek wins two golds again at this year’s archery World Cup · opens in a new tabHe topped the individual ranking round at the World Championships in Antalya, Turkey, but lost the final to his teammate Lee Seung-yun and took silver. Paired with Ki Bo-bae in the mixed team event, he won gold.
Source 12 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Top of the men’s ranking round at the World Archery Championships · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab The dates and opponents’ scores of the individual and mixed team finals could not be confirmed. The results are from Wikipedia.Married a woman who is not a public figure.
Source 13 · OSEN via Nate (Korean) · Married last February, Oh Jin-hyek goes for gold tomorrow · opens in a new tabSource 24 · Herald POP via Naver News (Korean) · Report on an interview with Oh Jin-hyek’s wife · opens in a new tab The exact date could not be confirmed.In the individual final at the Incheon Asian Games he lost the first two sets to Yong Zhiwei of China, then turned it around to win 6-4 on set points and take gold. In the team event he won bronze.
Source 14 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek beats Yong Zhiwei of China to win · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab The team result is from Wikipedia.He finished 11th in the individual ranking round at the Copenhagen World Championships and lost 4-6 on set points to Sanzhar Mussayev of Kazakhstan in the first elimination round (round of 96). In the team event he won gold.
Source 15 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek, another World Championships nightmare · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab The team result is from Wikipedia.He placed sixth in the final trials for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics team and did not qualify.
Source 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabWon a bronze medal in the team event at the World Championships in Mexico City.
Source 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.He went to a hospital with pain in his right shoulder and was told that only one of his four rotator cuff tendons remained, and was advised to retire. He kept shooting without surgery.
Source 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabIn the team semifinal at the Jakarta–Palembang Asian Games he beat China 5-3 on set points to reach the final, but lost to Chinese Taipei and took silver.
Source 16 · MK Sports (Korean) · [AG Talk] Oh Jin-hyek avenges four years ago · opens in a new tabSource 25 · MBC (Korean) · [AG] Men’s archery loses to Chinese Taipei in the team final, silver medal · opens in a new tab The semifinal was held on Aug. 25 and the final on Aug. 27.Won gold in the team event at the Asian Championships in Bangkok.
Source 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Received the Order of Sports Merit, Cheongnyong Medal.
Source 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.In the men’s team final at the Tokyo Olympics he beat Chinese Taipei 6-0 on set score and won gold. He said a short word meaning “end” as he shot the last arrow, and it landed in the 10 ring.
Source 18 · NoCut News (Korean) · A 10 with a shout of “end”: Oh Jin-hyek’s nine-year wait for gold · opens in a new tabSource 19 · YTN (Korean) · The last word of archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabIn the individual round of 32 he lost 9-10 to Atanu Das of India in a shoot-off and was eliminated.
Source 17 · NoCut News (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek’s Olympics end with the team gold he wanted instead of a round-of-32 exit · opens in a new tabWon gold in the team event at the World Championships in Yankton, South Dakota, with Kim Woo-jin and Kim Je-deok. He was eliminated in the round of 16 of the individual event.
Source 21 · Olympics.com (IOC) (Korean) · Five things to know about veteran archer Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek · opens in a new tab The exact date could not be confirmed.In the men’s team final at the Hangzhou Asian Games he beat India 5-1 on set points and won gold. It was the first team title in 13 years, since the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
Source 20 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · [Breaking] Men’s archery team gold, Oh Jin-hyek’s X-ten · opens in a new tabHe ended his playing career by receiving a plaque of appreciation for his retirement at the opening ceremony of the National Archery Championships at Jinho International Archery Field in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang.
Source 01 · FT Sports (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek announces retirement · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sports Q (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek looks back on his career · opens in a new tabAfter retiring, he began coaching with the Hyundai Steel archery team, teaching young prospects who were on age-group national teams.
Source 22 · Sports Kyunghyang via Nate (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek becomes a national team coach · opens in a new tabNamed coach of the national men’s recurve team preparing for the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games.
Source 22 · Sports Kyunghyang via Nate (Korean) · Oh Jin-hyek becomes a national team coach · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1992–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
Aug 15, 1981 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1981: the year of the event minus 1981, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.