Lee first appeared in the international scene as part of the host nation's squad at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, where she scored a double yuko point over China's Xian Dongmei for the gold medal in the 52-kg division.[2]
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Lee qualified for the South Korean squad in the women's half-lightweight class (52 kg), by topping the field and receiving a berth from the Asian Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She lost her opening match to Cuba's Amarilis Savón, who successfully scored an ippon and quickly subdued her on the tatami with an o goshi (full hip throw) at one minute and twenty-four seconds.[3] In the repechage, Lee gave herself a chance for an Olympic bronze medal, but slipped it away in a defeat to Sweden's Sanna Askelöf by an ippon victory and a kosoto gari (small outer reap) throw thirty-six seconds into their first round match.[4][5]
