Find the Champ

Lee In-young, Korea’s first international female boxing champion from Sanbon Boxing Studio, has vanished from public life.

Since she successfully defended her flyweight championship of the International Female Boxing Association on December 24, Lee has not shown up at the studio.

She has severed contact with her trainer Kim Ju-byung, who owns Sanbon Boxing Studio, and promoter Byun Cheong-il, the former world boxing champion who owns BJI Promotion. Since her first match as champion on December 24, she hasn’t received any training. Her whereabouts are completely unknown. Usually, another match should be scheduled within three months after the first match. If the second match is not scheduled, she may lose her championship – even without a fight.

Yi, who punched her way to the top of the world with a ferociousness that is only matched by world-class male boxers, was a former alcoholic who used boxing as a way out of her addiction. Some said her championship was the triumph of human strengths. Why did she go incognito after winning the championship she has fought hard for?

Many boxing insiders believed the conflict between her promoter and trainer is the reason: their squabbles were over what corporate sponsors Yi will endorse.

Kim wanted a construction company as her sponsor while Byun supported another. “I have a right on Lee,” said Kim. “I made her into a champion.” Byun countered Kim and said, “I had to invest my own money in Lee because I could find a sponsor.” He added, “I burned through about 100 million won.”

Their conflict will likely spill over into court. Byun allegedly spread false rumors about Kim’s new studio, saying Kim opened it by taking advantage of the champion.

Low pay is another point of contention. Yi received about six million won for her championship match and about 50 million won for her first championship defense.

The only clue about her whereabouts is a letter she sent to Kim on January 12. In it, she said, “I will tell everything soon.” However, she did not mention where she was or what she was doing now or when she would contact.

The postage showed the letter was sent from Masan, a city Lee is believed to have no ties with. It appears that she is traveling around the city while she is trying to figure out what to do.

“The trainer/promoter conflict put the country’s only female championship in danger of being lost,” said Yi Se-choon, the general secretary of the Korea Boxing Association. “The two have to compromise unconditionally and give priority to protecting the boxer.”