The breakthrough yearIn July 2010, the year he turned 18, he scored 16.150 on vault at the Japan Cup International Invitational Gymnastics, stepping onto the senior stage. In October he placed fourth on vault at his first World Championships. In November he won vault gold at the Guangzhou Asian Games and was reported as the youngest gold medalist on the Korean team.
In 2011, he showed his new vault, now known as the “Yang Hak Seon,” for the first time at the Korea Cup and won vault gold at the World Championships in Tokyo in October. In January 2012, the skill was added to the International Gymnastics Federation’s scoring rules, and in August he won vault gold at the London Olympics, the first gold in Korean gymnastics history.
In 2013, he won a second straight World Championships vault title, the first back-to-back vault titles in 21 years since Yoo Ok-ryul. In 2014, he won silver on vault at the Incheon Asian Games. In 2015, he won silver in the men’s team event at the Gwangju Universiade.
In 2016, he had Achilles tendon surgery and missed the Rio Olympics. In 2017, he reached the final in vault qualification at the Montreal World Championships with the top score, but Sports Seoul writes that he withdrew from the final because of injury. In 2019, he was picked for the Stuttgart World Championships team and reached the final as the top qualifier.
In 2020, the year he turned 28, he married. In 2021, he placed fifth in the vault final at the World Championships. In 2023, he competed on Netflix’s Physical: 100, his left Achilles tendon ruptured, and he went on SBS’s Dolsing Fourmen and said he was preparing for the Paris Olympics. In 2024, he returned with bronze at the National Sports Festival.
In February 2025, the year he turned 33, he appeared with his mother on MBC’s Eommareul Butakhae, and in September he ended his career at the National Sports Festival. In 2026, he became a World Vision ambassador and served as gymnastics commentator on MBC’s Asian Games broadcast.
Yang Hak-seon (born Dec 6, 1992) took the senior stage at the Japan Cup International Invitational Gymnastics on Jul 4, 2010, the year he turned 18, and became known for his vault gold at the Guangzhou Asian Games on Nov 17, 2010, the year he turned 18. He won Olympic gold in 2012, the year he turned 20.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Scored 16.150 on vault in the team event. It was the fourth-best vault score among 40 gymnasts from eight countries, and the national team head coach described it as effectively his first senior event.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Vault score of 16.150 at the Japan Cup · opens in a new tabAt his first World Championships, he finished fourth with an average of 16.266 over his first and second vaults. The gold went to France’s Thomas Bouhail (16.449).
Source 02 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Fourth on vault at the World Championships · opens in a new tab Korea time.In the final, his average of 16.400 over his first and second vaults put him ahead of China’s Feng Zhe (15.850). Herald Business reported that he was the youngest gold medalist on the Korean team.
Won the vault at the meet in Goyang with a new skill with three rotations in the air, known in Korea as “Yang 1.” FIG judges who watched gave it a difficulty value of 7.4.
Source 06 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Prospect of a new skill in the FIG code · opens in a new tabIn Tokyo, his average of 16.566 over his first and second vaults put him ahead of Russia’s Golotsutskov (16.366). It was the fifth World Championships gold for a Korean athlete.
Source 07 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Vault gold at the World Championships · opens in a new tabThe new skill, with a difficulty value of 7.4, was officially added to the International Gymnastics Federation’s scoring rules. The men’s technical committee chairman told the committee members by newsletter.
Source 08 · Ajunews (Korean) · New skill added to the scoring rulebook · opens in a new tab The date is the newsletter date given in the article.Won the vault at North Greenwich Arena. It was the first Olympic gold in Korean gymnastics history.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Vault win at the London Olympics · opens in a new tab Local time.Won the vault final in Antwerp with an average of 15.533 over his first and second vaults. Sports Chosun reported it was the first back-to-back vault title in 21 years, since Yoo Ok-ryul in 1991 and 1992.
Source 10 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Back-to-back World Championships titles · opens in a new tabWith a final average of 15.200, he finished second behind Hong Kong’s Shek Wai Hung (15.216). He did not win a second straight title after Guangzhou in 2010.
Source 11 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Silver at the Incheon Asian Games · opens in a new tabWon silver in the men’s team event in gymnastics at the 28th Summer Universiade in Gwangju.
Source 24 · Newsis (Korean) · 2016 Rio Olympics Taeguk warriors: gymnast Yang Hak-seon · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed in news reports.His right Achilles tendon ruptured during floor training at Taeneung National Training Center, and he had surgery. A team official said rehabilitation would take at least six to twelve months.
Source 12 · Newspim (Korean) · Achilles tendon surgery · opens in a new tabThe Korea Gymnastics Association officially announced in a press release that he would miss the Rio Olympics. It said he had conveyed his view that he needed more treatment for a normal recovery.
Source 13 · Joongboo Ilbo (Korean) · Out of the Rio Olympics · opens in a new tabReached the final with the top score in vault qualification. Sports Seoul says he withdrew from the final at this tournament because of injury.
Source 14 · JTBC (Korean) · Montreal World Championships qualification · opens in a new tabSource 15 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Stuttgart World Championships · opens in a new tabWon a place on the national team at the final selection event at Jincheon National Training Center.
Source 16 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Selection for the Stuttgart World Championships · opens in a new tabFinished first in vault qualification with an average of 14.933 over his first and second vaults. Sports Chosun says he missed a medal in the final because of a landing error.
Source 15 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Stuttgart World Championships · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Fifth at the 2021 World Championships final · opens in a new tabMarried a dancer.
Source 17 · Newsen (Korean) · Appears on Eommareul Butakhae · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Appears on Dolsing Fourmen · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed in news reports. In an April 2023 broadcast he said he was in the fourth year of marriage.In the final in Kitakyushu he placed fifth of eight with an average of 14.399. He had been second overall in qualification with an average of 14.833.
Source 05 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Fifth at the 2021 World Championships final · opens in a new tabYonhap News Agency reports that, after the right one in 2016, his left Achilles tendon ruptured as well in 2023.
Source 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Retirement interview · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed in news reports.Took part as a national-team gymnast in the survival show in which 100 contestants compete.
Source 26 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Netflix’s Physical: 100 tops the world · opens in a new tabAppeared with Choo Sung-hoon and Jeong Dae-se. He said he was still competing and preparing for the Paris Olympics.
Source 18 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Appears on Dolsing Fourmen · opens in a new tabWas eliminated in the first-round duet matchup and revealed his identity.
Source 25 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Appears on King of Mask Singer · opens in a new tabWon bronze at the National Sports Festival. He said it was his return to competition one year and three months after the injury.
Source 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Retirement interview · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed in news reports.Appeared as a guest with his mother. He said he had a son who had just turned one and shared news of raising him.
Source 17 · Newsen (Korean) · Appears on Eommareul Butakhae · opens in a new tabEnded his career with the gymnastics preliminary events of the 106th National Sports Festival at Busan Sajik Gymnasium. Yonhap News Agency reports that he had trained in gymnastics for 24 years, starting in third grade of elementary school.
Source 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Retirement interview · opens in a new tabWas appointed an ambassador for the social welfare organization World Vision.
Source 20 · MK Sports (Korean) · World Vision ambassador · opens in a new tabCovered the gymnastics broadcast with announcer Seo In.
Source 21 · iMBC Entertainment (Korean) · Asian Games day 2 broadcast · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2010–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
Dec 6, 1992 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1992: the year of the event minus 1992, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.