What happened?

Lee Hyun-ji, a judoka from Yongin University ranked third in the world, won the women's +78kg title at the 107th National Sports Festival in Jeju on October 16. According to Yonhap News Agency, she pinned down every opponent with an ippon within 30 seconds, ending the final against Kim Min-young of Korea National Sport University in just nine seconds.

| Round | Opponent | Time | |---|---|---| | Quarterfinal | Lee Hye-bin (Yongin University) | 23 seconds | | Semifinal | Kim Mi-kyung (Yongin University) | 10 seconds | | Final | Kim Min-young (Korea National Sport University) | 9 seconds |

A busy month for Lee

Lee had only recently returned home. She took silver at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, losing the final to China's Niu Xinlan, and then won the 2026 IJF World Championships by defeating top fighters by ippon. She flew back on October 13, and the report said she won despite jet lag and fatigue.

Her roots in Jeju

The event was held at Namnyeong High School, her alma mater. Lee grew up on Jeju Island and rose to prominence in 2024, when she won the IJF World Junior Championships while still a second-year student there. She won bronze at the senior World Championships the following year.

For international fans

Judo is one of Korea's flagship Olympic sports, and the National Sports Festival is the country's largest multi-sport event for amateur and collegiate athletes. Fans who follow Lee can track her results through the IJF's official website, which lists world championship and Grand Slam outcomes.