"Most Nervous Ever"… What Happened to Faker Lee Sang-hyeok?

"You Can Grow Through Failure" Encouragement for Youth

"Being number one all the time is the world of professionals. But when I think about it, I was able to grow through failure."

Lee Sang-hyeok, known as Faker, a professional gamer of League of Legends (LoL) revered as a 'legend' in esports, delivered the keynote speech at the '2024 Future Dialogue for Global Innovation' hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 20th. Faker shared his growth story on his way to becoming one of the world's top esports players, delivering a message of hope to young people.

Standing at the podium set up at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, Faker asked for understanding, saying "I think this is the most nervous I've ever been in my life" as it was his first speech in front of an audience. He continued his speech without a prepared script.

During the 'seven years of gap' when he did not achieve any notable victories, Faker said, "I experienced many failures and learned a lot in the process," adding, "I realized that failing is not necessarily a bad thing. I think each failure made me who I am, and I consider failure a small success." He further added, "That was the greatest lesson and became a bigger motivation."

eSports player Faker (real name Lee Sang-hyeok). Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding why he gave an unscripted speech, he said, "Whether I fail or succeed, I thought this is a small success," and encouraged, "I learned a lot about the spirit of challenge. I hope young people also have that spirit."

He also emphasized that winning or losing and success depend as much on external circumstances as on effort. Faker said, "I hoped to have values I could always hold onto, and I think success is when tomorrow is better than today, and when you have prepared diligently."

He conveyed a message that 'humility' should be valued in learning and growth. He said, "I feel sorry when I see hatred and discrimination these days," and added, "One's values cannot always be right in every era."

He concluded by saying, "It is important to have the mindset that what you have is not always right or justified," and "Life is short, so do what you love, have passion, do not fear failure, and respect others."

Faker is an esports player of the internationally popular team battle game LoL (League of Legends). Since debuting as a pro in 2013, he has been active as the mid-laner for the pro team T1 for 11 years. Following his debut year, he won the international tournament World Championship, known as the 'Worlds,' consecutively in 2015 and 2016. Although he experienced ups and downs without winning for seven years, he returned to the 'throne' last year.

Faker is not only known for his long career in esports, a field known for its short player lifespan, but also receives praise from fans for his thorough self-management and exemplary words and conduct.