Lee Dong-gook

Pohang Steelers

In 1998, Lee joined a K League club Pohang Steelers and started his professional career instead of entering university. Lee was named the Rookie of the Year after scoring eleven goals for Pohang in his first K League season. He also helped Pohang win the Asian Club Championship in that year. In January 2001, he was sent on loan to a Bundesliga club Werder Bremen, but he failed to settle in Bremen. He played only seven matches as a substitute during six months. He scored six goals during seven league matches in early 2006 when his performance was at its height. In April 2006, however, he tore the cruciate ligaments in his knee while playing in a league match that forced him out for six months, and was unable to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Enlistment in Gwangju Sangmu

In 1998, Lee's father offered a bribe to an employee of the Military Manpower Administration in order to dodge Lee's military service. The conspiracy ended in smoke, and was revealed by the prosecutor's office in October 2001. Lee and his father were criticised for their conspiracy, but the court only ordered the monetary penalty of his father. Lee wasn't punished at all, and even got an opportunity to exempt from military service by participating in the 2002 Asian Games. However, he failed to won a gold medal in the Asian Games despite the special treatment, and had to perform his obligation. In March 2003, he joined the military team Gwangju Sangmu.

Middlesbrough…

Club

International

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lee goal.

In the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Lee was a member of the South Korea national team, playing a match against the Netherlands as a substitute. After the World Cup, he led South Korea to the AFC Youth Championship title, and became joint-top goalscorer at the tournament and the player of the match in the final. Lee also took part in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. He scored a hat-trick against Indonesia, bringing South Korea's only victory in the group stage. He scored a golden goal in extra time of the quarter-final match against Iran. He also scored a goal in the semi-finals against Saudi Arabia, but South Korea lost this time. He became a top goalscorer with six goals after scoring the winning goal in the third place match against China. In 2002, Lee was not chosen by Guus Hiddink to represent South Korea in 2002 FIFA World Cup. Fans called him "Lazy Genius", because they felt that he did not fully use his potential. This is also because Hiddink emphasized strong stamina, great power, and agile speed, which are the categories that Lee struggles in, except power. He later admitted that he spent his days drinking and did not watch a single game that took place during the 2002 World Cup. Lee was coach Dick Advocaat's first-choice selection at forward for Korea ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but a knee injury suffered in a K League match forced him to miss the tournament. On 1 November 2007, Lee was banned from the national team for twelve months after it was revealed that he, along with…

Lee married Lee Soo-jin, a runner up of Miss Korea Hawaii 1997, in December 2005. The couple have five children: twin daughters Lee Jae-si and Lee Jae-ah (born 14 August 2007), twin daughters Lee Seol-ah and Lee Soo-ah (born 18 July 2013), and son Lee Si-an, nicknamed Daebak (born 14 November 2014). Lee, along with his five children, has appeared on the Sunday variety show The Return of Superman (aired on KBS World TV) from 2015 to 2019. The Return of Superman shows famous Korean fathers taking care of their children for 48 hours without their wife. Lee is the first on the show to have five children to take care of. On 23 December 2022, Lee signed with Thinking Entertainment.