Former national tennis player Lee Hyeong-taek and former taekwondo athlete Lee Dae-hoon were identified as the sports stars involved in a 2024 Gangnam assault dispute. Comedian Kim Gu-ra revealed on his YouTube channel that the incident was merely a misinterpretation after the heavily intoxicated athletes fell while attempting to hail a taxi.
Unraveling the 2024 Gangnam Parking Lot Incident
An anonymous sports star altercation that captured headlines in 2024 has finally received its true identification and explanation. At the time, reports surfaced detailing an assault dispute near a parking lot in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, involving a taekwondo Olympic medalist identified as Person A and a former national tennis player identified as Person B. Local law enforcement at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station stated that the investigation could not proceed properly because the individuals involved were heavily intoxicated.
While the initial reports omitted their actual names, widespread speculation quickly pointed toward prominent sports figures who had appeared together on variety programming. The identities remained officially undisclosed until a recent disclosure brought the matter back into the public eye, revealing that Person A and Person B were Lee Dae-hoon and Lee Hyeong-taek, respectively.
On September 14, a video titled ‘Economic Stories to Listen to While Lying in Bed, Kim Gu-ra Economic Research Institute’ was posted on the YouTube channel ‘Geu-ri-gu-ra’. Earlier in 2024, news broke of a violent incident in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul, where the perpetrators were revealed to be former sports athletes who had appeared together on a variety show. At the time, Seoul Gangnam Police Station announced they were investigating former taekwondo national team member Mr. A on assault charges.
Fortunately, Mr. B, who was taken to the hospital, suffered no serious injuries and was discharged. However, the police stated that since Mr. B was heavily intoxicated, the investigation could not proceed properly, and they would continue the probe after summoning Mr. A voluntarily. Given that Mr. A and Mr. B were former taekwondo and tennis national team members, respectively, and had appeared together on a variety program, their identities were quickly identified. However, no real names were disclosed, and the only explanation provided was that a bystander had mistakenly reported the incident after seeing one of them stumble while leaving.
How a Taxi Ride Stumble Became Misinterpreted as a Brawl
The complete narrative behind the police report emerged during a recording for a digital media broadcast. Comedian Kim Gu-ra shared the details on his YouTube channel, relaying the full story as he heard it directly from Lee Hyeong-taek during an appearance on the television program Radio Star.
Wild rumors had previously circulated across the entertainment sphere, suggesting a bizarre physical altercation involving sports equipment and martial arts moves.
“There was gossip that Lee Hyung-taek and Lee Dae-hoon got into a fight where both were hit. The rumor went like this: Lee Hyung-taek and Lee Dae-hoon were drinking together, and Lee Hyung-taek suggested a challenge by placing an apple on his head. Then, while Lee Dae-hoon was spinning his leg, he supposedly got hit.”
Photo: starnewskorea.com
Kim Gu-ra, Comedian
Instead of any martial arts demonstration or alcohol-fueled bet involving fruit, the physical contact was entirely accidental and mundane. According to the account shared by Kim Gu-ra, the two men became entangled and fell while simply trying to secure transportation home at the end of the night.
“They were just standing still. Both of them—Lee Hyung-taek and Lee Dae-hoon—had drunk heavily. Someone saw them stumbling while trying to hail a taxi. That’s how the incident was misinterpreted as a fight.”
Kim Gu-ra, Comedian
Authorities noted at the time that while Mr. B was transported to a hospital, he suffered no serious injuries and received a prompt discharge. Because both athletes were incapacitated by alcohol, investigators were forced to postpone a thorough inquiry, leaving room for public speculation to fester.
Changing Industry Culture and the Waiting Room Silence
Discussing the modern entertainment industry, Kim Gu-ra observed that contemporary waiting rooms bear little resemblance to those of previous decades, where celebrities openly traded casual anecdotes about their daily lives.
Photo: Chosun
“Just over 20 years ago, when entertainers gathered in the waiting room, they would talk about everything that had happened the day before—who met whom and so on. It wasn’t anything special. But nowadays, no one talks about themselves in the waiting room.”
Kim Gu-ra, Comedian
That cautious environment stems from how easily casual remarks transform into distorted public gossip. Commenting on the strict discretion now practiced by public figures, Kim Gu-ra emphasized that this kind of conversation creates a structure where it’s too easy for rumors to spread across the board. Both athletes chose to remain quiet during the initial wave of speculation rather than chase every exaggerated retelling of a simple stumble on a Gangnam sidewalk.
