Esports icon Faker among top 5 Korean stars

League of Legends star player Lee Sang Hyeok, better known as Faker, recently ranked fifth among the most influential Korean stars last year – the first time an esports player has cracked the top five, according to East Week magazine, a sister publication of The Standard. 
Released by South Korea's culture ministry last month, the 2026 Overseas Hallyu (Korean Wave) Survey was led by K-pop heavyweights BTS, Lee Min-ho, and BLACKPINK, while esports icon Faker made a surprise debut in fifth place, tying with K-pop star IU. 
The Korean postal service also recently announced that it will issue a commemorative stamp in Faker's honor this October.
Nicknamed the "Unkillable Demon King" for his masterful gameplay in League of Legends – a multiplayer online game with 130 million monthly active users – the 29-year-old has garnered an estimated net worth of HK$150 million and owns a building in Seoul, which is partially leased out. However, his lifestyle is extremely frugal, reportedly spending only a little over HK$1,000 per month.
The first person in history to win six League of Legends World Championships, Faker also helped South Korea win a gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, earning him an exemption from mandatory military service. 
In recognition of his contributions to the nation's prestige on the international stage, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung personally awarded Faker the Blue Dragon Medal, Korea's highest sporting honor.

Faker was raised in a single-parent household with his father and grandmother, and has said his family was not well-off when he was younger. While there were worries his gaming might affect his school grades, there was even more concern that they would not be able to afford the electricity bill due to him playing so much.
In 2012, a professional League of Legends league was established in South Korea. At 15 years old, Faker played the game so intensely that he neglected sleep and meals. After ranking among the top players in South Korea, he was scouted by a SK Telecom T1 coach to join the second team, debuted at 17, and was soon promoted to the first team. He dropped out of school at 17 to fully commit to his professional career.
In esports, game updates are frequent and tactical landscapes shift significantly, exacting heavy psychological and physical tolls. While most players have short careers – debuting in their teens and retiring on average around age 24 – Faker is still playing at 29, having been able to adapt and also win six world championships along the way.