A commemorative postage stamp honoring T1's "Faker" Lee Sang-hyeok, the legendary League of Legends (LoL) player and the first esports athlete to receive the Cheongnyong Medal — the highest class of the Korean Sports Merit Award — will be issued. It marks the first time a gaming or esports figure has been honored with a commemorative stamp.
The Postal Business Headquarters under the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced Wednesday that it will issue the Faker commemorative stamp in October. Commemorative stamps are issued to honor historically significant figures, events and milestones, as well as to promote national projects and foster public sentiment. Last year, a commemorative stamp marking the 100th day in office of President Lee Jae-myung drew significant popularity.
This year, a total of 16 commemorative stamp editions had been scheduled for release, including themes such as "Jeju Oreum," "Catch! Teenieping," "KBO League" and "150th Anniversary of the Birth of Kim Gu." Faker has now been added to the list.
Faker debuted as a professional gamer in 2013 and has remained with T1 for 13 years. Late last year, he achieved the historic milestone of winning the LoL World Championship six times overall and three consecutive times. Earlier this year, he received the Cheongnyong Medal in recognition of his contributions to the development of esports.
At the time, the Presidential Office explained the background of the award, stating, "Lee Sang-hyeok has consistently achieved world-class results in League of Legends esports and has cemented South Korea's standing in esports on the global stage."
Faker is an esports star beloved not only in South Korea but worldwide. According to the "2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey (based on 2025 data)" — conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, targeting people in 30 overseas regions who have experienced Korean cultural content — Faker ranked among the "most influential Hallyu stars," demonstrating his global influence.
Meanwhile, the Postal Business Headquarters under the Ministry of Science and ICT is selling the "2025 Republic of Korea Stamp Collection," which compiles all 71 stamp editions issued over the past year. The collection includes the "21st Presidential Inauguration Commemorative Stamp" as well as stamps featuring themes such as "K-Dessert," which promotes Korean food to the world, "APEC 2025 Summit" and "80th Anniversary of Liberation."