Sunyoung played elite basketball in Korea for ten years and is a former member of the National Universiade Team. She has held various roles in the sports field, including as an athlete trainer for the Korean women's national field hockey team, and handball team, a sports human rights and ethics instructor, and coaching basketball at a foreign school in Korea, National Athlete's Committee: Human Rights Specialist in the Sports Field. She earned a Master's Degree in Education (Physical Education) and a Doctorate in Physical Education from Korea University, Seoul, majoring in Sport Pedagogy and specializing in human rights in sport. Her doctoral dissertation is a self - narrative exploration of experiences of bullying in sports. Her research focus on school violence (especially bullying, harassment) and human rights in sport. She is an adjunct professor at a university, education chairperson, and the Director of the Grassroots Sports Human Rights Education Research Institute. She is working to groundwork for a human rights-friendly sports culture.