PhD-trained social scientist specialising in the sociology of sport, with interdisciplinary expertise in sport policy, governance, institutionalisation, professionalisation, and cultural studies. My research examines how emerging and alternative sporting practices develop into recognised, organised, and regulated forms of sport, and how these processes reshape cultural identities, communities, participation, and power relations. I have particular expertise in action and lifestyle sports, including breaking, skateboarding, parkour, and Taekwondo, with a broader interest in youth cultures, subcultures, inclusion and exclusion, and the relationship between informal sporting communities and formal institutions. I employ qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, including interviews, document analysis, discourse analysis, thematic analysis, text mining, and topic modelling.
Research Expertise
Sociology of Sport
Cultural Studies
Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research
Sport Policy and Governance
Action and Lifestyle Sports
Discourse and Thematic Analysis
Institutionalisation
Computational Social Science
Actionable Insights and Policy Recommendations
Education
Ph.D., Sociology of Sport
Oct 2021 – Dec 2024
Loughborough University, United Kingdom Specialisation: Sport Policy, Politics and Governance; Cultural Studies
M.Sc., Sport Management, Politics and International Development
Sep 2020 – Dec 2021
Loughborough University, United Kingdom — awarded with Distinction
B.S., Sport Science
Mar 2014 – Aug 2020
Hanyang University ERICA, South Korea — Summa Cum Laude (GPA 4.40/4.50)
B.A., Culture Content Studies (Double Major)
Mar 2014 – Aug 2020
Hanyang University ERICA, South Korea
Academic & Professional Experience
Senior Research Fellow — Hanyang YK Intercollege, Hanyang University, Seoul
Feb 2025 – Present
Lead applied research and institutional evaluation on first-year student experience, major selection, academic adjustment, and career development, using survey design, descriptive and cross-tabulation analysis, qualitative coding, text mining, and topic modelling.
Produce research reports and evidence-based recommendations for senior university leadership, translating findings into curriculum development, student support, and programme improvement.
Lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of the English-medium Life Project curriculum for approximately 250 first-year students, integrating lectures, workshops, and project-based learning.
Coordinate teaching and programme operations across faculty, administrative staff, and approximately 30 teaching assistants, ensuring consistent delivery and assessment.
Provide academic and career guidance to students and contribute to university-wide initiatives supporting interdisciplinary major exploration and transition into degree programmes.
Visiting Researcher — Kukkiwon Research Institute (World Taekwondo Headquarters), Seoul
Jun 2026 – Present
Conduct research on Taekwondo policy, culture, and institutional development and contribute to peer-reviewed outputs for domestic and international journals.
Assistant Researcher — Korea Institute of Sport Science, Seoul
Aug 2023 – Oct 2023
Conducted comparative policy research on athlete pathways, talent development, participation, and grassroots sport systems in the UK, Canada, and other international contexts.
Collected, analysed, and synthesised policy documents and programme data; contributed comparative tables, case studies, and report sections to a national sport development research project.
Physical Education Instructor — Dept. of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hai Phong, Vietnam · WFK Korea Overseas Volunteers (KOICA)
Aug 2017 – Aug 2018
Designed and delivered physical education and Taekwondo programmes for local students and community participants in collaboration with the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Adapted teaching to multilingual and cross-cultural settings and organised community sport activities that supported participation, inclusion, and Korea–Vietnam cultural exchange.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Lee, E.*, & Tak, M. (2025). From back streets to Olympic stage: The development of breaking and skateboarding in South Korea. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 42(1), 62–82. doi:10.1080/09523367.2025.2465694
Lee, E. (2025). Emergence and Development of Parkour in South Korea: From Urban Subculture to Sport. The Korean Society of Sports Science, 34(6), 74–88. doi:10.35159/kjss.2025.10.34.6.74
Lee, E. (2025). Introduction of the round-based win-loss system in Taekwondo: Viewer perceptions and implications. The Journal of Korean Alliance of Martial Arts, 27(1), 135–147. doi:10.35277/kama.2025.27.1.135
Lee, E. (2024). An exploration of viewers’ perceptions and experiences at action sports events in the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Game. Korean Journal of Leisure, Recreation & Park, 48(1), 1–16. doi:10.26446/kjlrp.2024.3.48.1.1
Lee, E.*, & Lee, H. (2024). Sportification of Taekwondo: Taekwondo athletes’ perspectives and experiences in Power Taekwondo. Taekwondo Journal of Kukkiwon, 15(1), 65–77. doi:10.24881/tjk.2024.15.1.65
Lee, E. (2024). Topic modelling: Comprehensive analysis of sport climbing research trends in Korea from 2000 to 2024. The Korean Journal of Sports Science, 33(4), 32–45. doi:10.35159/kjss.2024.8.33.4.32
Lee, H., & Lee, E.* (2024). Exploration from Action Sport: Motivation for Skateboarding. The Korean Society of Sports Science, 33(4), 70–84. doi:10.35159/kjss.2024.8.33.4.70
Cho, H., Park, J., & Lee, E.* (2024). Research trends in Taekwondo demonstrations from 2004 to 2023 utilizing topic modeling. Korean Journal of Sport Science, 35(1), 1–14. doi:10.24985/kjss.2024.35.1.1
Lee, E. (2023). Exploring K-breaking research trends using LDA topic modeling. The Korea Journal of Sports Science, 32(6), 15–28. doi:10.35159/kjss.2023.12.32.6.15
Lee, E.*, Lee, H., & Cho, H. (2023). Kicking Higher: Australian Taekwondo Athlete’s High-performance Pathway. Taekwondo Journal of Kukkiwon, 14(4), 1–13. doi:10.24881/tjk.2023.14.4.1
Lee, E. (2023). A SPLISS model-based examination of GB Taekwondo’s international success factors. Taekwondo Journal of Kukkiwon, 14(3), 1–10. doi:10.24881/tjk.2023.14.3.1
* Corresponding author
Book Chapters
Lee, E. (in preparation). Social skateboarding: “Socialities”—What makes skateboarding “social”? Invited chapter for Skateboarding: Global Perspectives. Bloomsbury Publishing. Expected publication 2028.
Conference Presentations
Lee, E. (2025, July 8–11). The professionalisation of Korean breaking: Where is the future of breaking heading? [Oral presentation]. 2025 World Congress of Sociology of Sport, Seoul, South Korea.
Lee, E. (2023, August 14–17). Four faces of the sportisation of breaking: Is breaking losing its own soul? [Oral presentation]. 2023 World Congress of Sociology of Sport, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Lee, E. (2023, May 30–June 2). The power struggle for governance and authority in the institutionalisation of breaking [Oral presentation]. 19th Conference of the European Association for Sociology of Sport, Budapest, Hungary.
Teaching Experience
Lecturer — Hanyang YK Intercollege, Hanyang University, Seoul (concurrent with Senior Research Fellow role)
Jun 2025 – Dec 2025
Led the curriculum design and development of Life Project, an English-only first-year undergraduate course integrating lectures and workshops, and took full responsibility for course delivery.
Lecturer — Sport Science, Hanyang University, Seoul (concurrent with Senior Research Fellow role)
Sep 2025 – Dec 2025
Independently designed and delivered an undergraduate course in Sport Humanities, with full responsibility for syllabus development, teaching materials, student assessment, grading, feedback, and overall course management.
Guest Lecturer & Workshop Facilitator — School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK
Semester 2, 2022 & 2023
Contributed selected guest lectures and small-group workshops to the postgraduate Sport Policy and Governance module for MSc Sport Management students.
Facilitated case-based discussion and workshop activities on sport policy, governance, and the institutional development of sport.