Former Olympian Nam Hyun Hee Confesses She Was Suspended From The National Team — Because Of Plastic Surgery

If the name Nam Hyun Hee sounds familiar to you, it’s because the 39-year-old (American age) is a former Olympic athlete. The nationally ranked fencer won the individual silver medal at the 2016 Beijing Olympics and she won the team bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. And while she has made headlines time and time again for her incredible accomplishments, Nam Hyun Hee also previously made headlines after she was suspended from the national fencing team — for getting plastic surgery.

Nam Hyun Hee shared the 2005 story on a previous episode of E-Channel‘s variety program, Sporty Sisters. The former fencer started it off by revealing that she was punished for undergoing plastic surgery.

She continued by revealing that she was actually “suspended as a player for 2 years” because of her decision to go under the knife.

I was suspended as a player for 2 years.

— Nam Hyun Hee

It was here that the former fencer began the story of what really went down.

This was during a time when double eyelid surgery was just becoming popular. Even in the fencing organization, there were a few unnies who had gotten double eyelid surgery.

— Nam Hyun Hee

Nam Hyun Hee shared that in 2005, the Korean fencing team won the 2005 World Championships and took home the gold medal. Due to this, she shared that the fencing season was over when she decided to undergo double eyelid surgery.

We won the gold during the World Championship in 2005. We came back to South Korea and the season was over. There was nothing, there was nothing. We were just given rest time.

— Nam Hyun Hee

To add onto the overall shock, the former Olympic fencer revealed that she had received permission from the fencing association prior to getting the surgery.

I asked my team, I asked my teacher, I asked the national team’s coach. I came back after my surgery, however, and it [the punishment] happened.

— Nam Hyun Hee

The reason why she received the suspension was because her team felt that she had put her focus on cosmetics, rather than her profession.

They thought ‘she didn’t work hard. She neglected her job.’ They thought I was ruining the reputation of the fencing organization.

— Nam Hyun Hee

And while the former Olympian shared that she has moved on from the past hurtful memories, it was her daughter that she worried about.

I’m okay now, but it’s my daughter. I worry for my daughter because every time the issue seems forgotten, it pops back up, it seems like it’s forgotten and it comes back on the internet. Every time it seems like it’s done with, it always comes back.

— Nam Hyun Hee

What a baffling story. You can watch former Olympian fencer Nam Hyun Hee retell the details of the story down below.