[1] She became the first female South Korean in history to train in the United States, and swim for the Peddie Aquatic Association in Hightstown, New Jersey.

[2] As one of South Korea's youngest swimmers, Lee qualified for two swimming events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, by achieving FINA A-standard entry time of 2:31.32 (200 m breaststroke) from the Dong-A Swimming Tournament in Seoul.

[3][4] In the 100 m breaststroke, Lee challenged seven other swimmers on the third heat, including two-time Olympian İlkay Dikmen of Turkey.

[5][6] In her second event, 200 m breaststroke, Lee placed twenty-fourth overall on the morning's preliminaries.

Swimming in the final heat of five, she rounded out a field of seven swimmers to last place in 2:34.55, more than three seconds off her entry time.