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Final triumph after four penalty shootouts.
Kyung Hee athletic teams sweep across football, handball, gymnastics, golf, taekwondo, and archery

Kyung Hee’s football team captured the title at the 61st National University Football Championship, its first in 48 years and its first national tournament victory in a decade. The achievement was especially meaningful, as the team demonstrated resilience and composure by prevailing in all four of its penalty shootouts during the competition. “We’ve stumbled in shootouts so many times before, so to finally come through in all four this year makes the win extra special,” said Head Coach Kwangjin Kim. “To bring home a championship after 48 long years is humbling, but it’s also a moment we’ll cherish forever.”

United by trust and determination
The team’s unity and determination were key to its success. “The trust between players and staff was our biggest weapon,” Coach Kim added. “And I can’t say enough about Student Junhee Lee, our goalkeeper—his focus and nerves of steel in those shootouts made all the difference.” For his heroics, Student Lee received the Byungji Kim Goalkeeper Award, named after the legendary Korean national team goalkeeper.

The football team has long faced hurdles, including those tied to admissions policies, but this year’s victory was about more than just lifting a trophy. “We learned that when every player sacrifices for the team and everyone pulls in the same direction, the result is something far greater than the sum of its parts,” Kim said. He also credited the University leadership. “Thanks to the President, Vice President, and Dean, the players never lost heart, even when things were tough. Now it’s time to put this celebration aside and get back to work. We’ll be ready for the National Freshman and Sophomore University Football Tournament on August 17, and we’re hungry to push higher in the U-League, where we’re sitting second, to bring more pride to Kyung Hee.”

Finally, Coach Kim made sure to thank those behind the scenes. “Our assistant coaches, Sangjin Park and Woojeong Park, and trainers Juwan Kim and Taehyun Gong, gave everything to this team without ever seeking the spotlight,” he said. “This championship belongs to them too — and to every member of the Kyung Hee community who believed in us. Keep cheering us on; we’ll keep fighting to make you proud.”

Handball team: 28 straight wins, undefeated university champions
Kyung Hee’s sports teams delivered victories across multiple disciplines in the first half of 2025. The handball team stormed through the University Handball Integrated League with 28 straight wins to claim the championship undefeated. Student Junyoung Kim (Coaching, ’22) was named the tournament’s MVP. Head Coach Manho Kim and Coach Jaewoo Cha were both honored as Best Coaches.

The gymnastics team captured the overall team crown at the 50th KBS National Artistic Gymnastics Championship. The golf team also swept the 2nd through 4th University Golf Tournaments of 2025, winning the women’s amateur team, men’s amateur team, and women’s professional team events.

The taekwondo team took the women’s university division overall title at the 60th Presidential National Taekwondo Team Championship. As the home of the world’s first four-year Department of Taekwondo , Kyung Hee has built a tradition of producing national athletes and winning major tournaments. That tradition continues with Student Seungju Oh (Coaching, ‘22), who was selected for the national team and will represent Korea at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.

At the 43rd Presidential National Archery Championship , the archery team won the men’s team event (Students Doohee Choi, Yechan Kim, Hyobeom Lee, and Donghyun Kim) and the mixed team event (Students Hyejeong Yeom and Hyobeom Lee). The men’s team captured its second straight title, while the mixed team secured its third in a row. Kyung Hee archers also shone individually, taking first place in the women’s 50m, women’s 60m, and men’s 30m events.

Dean Kyung Rok Oh of the College of Physical Education, who directs Kyung Hee’s varsity athletic programs, commended the athletes and coaches for their dedication. “These results are the product of relentless effort and passion,” he said. “We’ll keep giving our teams the support they need so they can continue to grow and compete at the highest level.”