In 2005, he won the mixed doubles title at the South Korea, German, Thailand, and Malaysia Open with Lee Hyo-jung.

[2] Lee played at the 2007 BWF World Championships in men's doubles with Hwang Ji-man.

In Beijing, 2008 Summer Olympics, Lee, and his partner Hwang won the first bronze medal after upsetting Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah in the first round and Tadashi Ohtsuka/Keita Masuda in the quarter-final, but were defeated by Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China in the semi-final.

Nevertheless, in the bronze medal match, Lee and Hwang subdued Danish pair Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen.

[3] In 2011, Lee was back in the Korean mainstream press after winning the pro match at the national pro-boxing New King Challenge.