Lee Sang-hyeok shows his gold medal after the medal ceremony of League of Legends Esport event during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Sept. 29, 2023. AFP-Yonhap

Korean e-sports star Faker said Wednesday that his past failures taught him valuable lessons that shaped who he is today, encouraging young people to embrace challenges with passion.

The professional League of Legends (LoL) player, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, made the remarks at an event in Seoul, looking back on the years of his own setbacks that followed his consecutive wins in the LoL World Championships in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Lee reclaimed the title in 2023 and secured his fifth championship victory in 2024, a record in LoL championship history.

"I always had to win. I had to be number one in the world of professionals," Lee said in an unscripted speech during a public diplomacy event hosted by the foreign ministry.

"Naturally, I thought winning was good and losing was bad, but when I really think about it, I know that I was able to grow from my failures and became better because of them," Lee said.

Addressing an audience for the first time, which he called "the most nerve-wracking moment of my life," he said he decided to deliver the speech without a script to deliver his message sincerely.

"Whether I failed or succeeded, I thought of it as a small success," Lee said. "I feel I've learned a lot about having the 'spirit of challenge' and I hope young people will also have that mindset."

"I believe that each failure has come to shape who I am… That has been the greatest lesson and became an even greater motivation for me," Lee added.

Lee also highlighted the importance of humility in learning and growth, pointing out how the world has increasingly been fraught with "hate and discrimination."

"I find it unfortunate that people assert their own values as always being right, when they can't be right all the time," he said. "I think it's important to have the mindset that what you believe in may not always be correct and that there is no one absolute answer." (Yonhap)