Seo Ryeo-kyung, a professor of pediatric medicine at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Cheonan, has become the light flyweight champion in the women's professional boxing contest hosted by Korea Boxing Member's Commission.
Seo clinched the title by securing a technical KO against her opponent 38 seconds into the eighth round of a match in southern Seoul on July 14.
"It was so thrilling when victory was declared," she said. "All the tough times I experienced working in the hospital and boxing flashed before my eyes."
The doctor began boxing in 2018 at the suggestion of a colleague to relieve stress at work. Having always had a knack for sports, she learned speedskating, skiing and swimming as a child and had considered becoming an athlete before.
She gradually picked up the fundamentals of boxing. "I woke up at 6 a.m. and got off work at 5 p.m. feeling really tired, but I still headed to the gym," she said. "I ended up falling in love with boxing and it really helped me leave all the stress from work behind."
But she admits it was not easy balancing the two. When she debuted as a professional boxer in 2020, she was often asked why she took it up only as a hobby since she might get hurt.
"I decided to box as a pro and don't regret the decision," she said. When asked if boxing or being a doctor is harder, she said, "They're both tough."
Her coach, Sohn Jung-soo, said, "They say she's a natural, but she also practices a lot. I think she has the strongest punch of any female boxer I've seen so far."
Standing 163 cm tall and weighing just 48 kg, Seo packs a formidable punch. "I want to become world champion in two years," she said, and according to Sohn the goal is within reach. "Her level of progress was three times faster than other athletes' when she started boxing. She is more than capable of becoming world champ," he said.
