Before Lee embarked on his musical career, he was a judo athlete who won a gold medal in a judo championship amongst athletes in his hometown when he was in high school.
Sebelum Lee Jong Hyun memulai karier bermusiknya, dia adalah seorang atlet judo yang memenangkan medali emas dalam pertandingan judo di antara para atlet di kampung halaman ketika ia duduk di sekolah menengah.