At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Byun defeated Jean-Marc Augustin of France in the first round of the bantamweight competition. In the second round, he refused to leave the ring after losing a 4-1 decision to Aleksandar Khristov of Bulgaria. He was penalized two points by New Zealand referee Keith Walker for headbutting. He sat by himself in the ring for over an hour. Eventually, match officials turned the lights out and left him in darkness. Byun's actions were reminiscent of another Korean boxer[clarification needed] who staged a lengthy sit-in after being disqualified at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.[2]
Professional career
Byun turned professional in 1990 and in 1993 defeated Victor Rabanales for the WBC bantamweight title by decision in his ninth fight. He lost the belt later that year to Yasuei Yakushiji, and lost a rematch to Yakushiji the following year.[3] He retired after the loss.
