Lee Chun-soo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lee Chun-soo

Lee with Incheon United in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Lee Chun-soo
Date of birth	(1981-07-09) 9 July 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Incheon, South Korea
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1994–1996	Bupyeongdong Middle School
1997–1999	Bupyeong High School
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2001	Korea University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2003	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	36	(15)
2003–2005	Real Sociedad	13	(0)
2004–2005	→ Numancia (loan)	15	(0)
2005–2007	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	48	(17)
2007–2009	Feyenoord	12	(0)
2008	→ Suwon Samsung Bluewings (loan)	3	(0)
2009	→ Jeonnam Dragons (loan)	7	(4)
2009–2010	Al-Nassr	16	(3)
2010–2011	Omiya Ardija	43	(8)
2013–2015	Incheon United	67	(5)
Total		260	(52)
International career
1999–2000	South Korea U20	14	(20)
1999–2006	South Korea U23	28	(11)
2000–2008	South Korea	78	(10)
Medal record Representing  South Korea Men's football AFC Asian Cup Bronze 2007 Indonesia/Malaysia /Thailand/Vietnam Team Asian Games Bronze 2002 Busan Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lee Chun-soo (Hangul: 이천수; born 9 July 1981) is a retired South Korean football player. He played as a forward. Lee was a key player for the South Korea national team. He played in the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006. Early in his career, many people thought he was one of the most talented young forwards from South Korea.

Lee Chun-soo's Club Career

Starting with Ulsan Hyundai

Lee Chun-soo began his professional career with Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in 2002. He quickly showed his amazing skills. In his first season, he scored seven goals and made nine assists in 18 games. At just 19 years old, he was named the Asian Young Footballer of the Year. He also became the top assist provider in the K League.

In July 2003, Lee moved to Europe to play for Real Sociedad in Spain. This team had finished second in the Spanish league the year before. He was the first Korean player to join Spain's top football league, La Liga. However, he found it hard to score goals there. After a year, he was loaned to another Spanish team, Numancia. He then returned to Ulsan in South Korea.

When he rejoined Ulsan, he helped them win the K League championship final. He even scored three goals in the first game of the final. Because of his great performance, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the K League. The next year, he scored another three goals against Gamba Osaka in the A3 Champions Cup.

Playing in Europe Again

In 2008, Lee got another chance to play in Europe. He joined Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, the top league in the Netherlands. However, he faced some challenges off the field. These issues made it hard for him to focus on football. Feyenoord decided to loan him to a South Korean team, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, in July 2008.

Loan Periods and Challenges

His time at Suwon was difficult. He didn't play well and had disagreements with the coaches. After a few months, he was loaned to Jeonnam Dragons in February 2009. In June 2009, he moved to Al-Nassr, a club in Saudi Arabia.

Returning to South Korea

In March 2010, Lee left Al-Nassr. He then joined Omiya Ardija, a team in Japan's J1 League. He played there for about a year and a half. After leaving Japan, Lee wanted to play in South Korea again. After some time, he was able to return to the K League. On March 31, 2013, he joined Incheon United. This was 1,381 days after his last game in the K League.

On November 5, 2015, Lee Chun-soo announced that he was retiring from playing football. His retirement ceremony happened during halftime of a World Cup qualifier game between South Korea and Lebanon in March 2016.

Lee Chun-soo's International Career

Lee Chun-soo also had a successful career playing for South Korea's national teams.

Youth National Teams

In 1999, Lee was chosen for the South Korean under-20 team. He played in the Bangabandhu Cup. In his very first game, he scored five goals against Thailand. He also scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Brazil.

Lee was also part of the South Korean under-23 team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. In a game against Morocco, he scored a goal from a rebound after missing a penalty kick.

Playing in the World Cup

Lee was a substitute for the South Korean national team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This World Cup was held in his home country. When he played, he showed good dribbling skills and helped with defense. In the semi-finals against Germany, he started the game because other main players were injured. He took a memorable shot that the German goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn, saved.

In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Lee played as a starter. He scored South Korea's first goal in the tournament with a free kick against Togo. South Korea won that game 2–1.

After Retirement: New Roles

After retiring from playing football, Lee Chun-soo has taken on several new roles.

Media and Entertainment

In June 2014, he appeared on an episode of SNL Korea. He played a funny version of a football video game. In December 2015, he showed his singing skills on the TV show King of Mask Singer. Since March 2016, he has been a football commentator for JTBC3 Fox Sports. He also signed a contract with DH Entertainment in June 2021.

Football Management and Contributions

In 2019, Lee was appointed as the head of strength and conditioning for his hometown team, Incheon United. He held this position until August 2020. In January 2021, he became the Chairman of the Social Contribution Committee of the Korea Football Association. This role involves helping the community through football. In October 2024, he participated in the Nexon Icon Match in Korea as part of a striker team.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Lee Chun-soo

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 April 2000	Seoul, South Korea	1	Laos	3–0	9–0	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2	7 April 2000	Seoul, South Korea	2	Mongolia	5–0	6–0	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
3	13 September 2001	Daejeon, South Korea	11	Nigeria	1–2	2–2	Friendly
4	16 May 2002	Busan, South Korea	23	Scotland	1–0	4–1	Friendly
5	8 September 2004	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	40	Vietnam	2–1	2–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	29 January 2006	Hong Kong	54	Croatia	2–0	2–0	2006 Lunar New Year Cup
7	22 February 2006	Aleppo, Syria	58	Syria	2–1	2–1	2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
8	13 June 2006	Frankfurt, Germany	63	Togo	1–1	2–1	2006 FIFA World Cup
9	6 February 2007	London, England	68	Greece	1–0	1–0	Friendly
10	29 June 2007	Seogwipo, South Korea	71	Iraq	2–0	3–0	Friendly

Television Appearances

TV Shows

Web Series

Awards and Achievements

Player Honours

Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i

• K League 1: 2005
• Korean League Cup: 2007
• Korean Super Cup: 2006
• A3 Champions Cup: 2006

Feyenoord

• KNVB Cup: 2007–08

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

• K League 1: 2008
• Korean League Cup: 2008

Incheon United

• Korean FA Cup runner-up: 2015

South Korea U23

• Asian Games bronze medal: 2002

South Korea

• AFC Asian Cup third place: 2007

Individual Awards

• K League All-Star: 2002, 2006, 2007, 2013
• K League 1 top assist provider: 2002
• K League Rookie of the Year: 2002
• K League 1 Best XI: 2002, 2005
• AFC Youth Player of the Year: 2002
• K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 2005
• A3 Champions Cup Most Valuable Player: 2006
• A3 Champions Cup top goalscorer: 2006
• AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2007
• Korean FA Goal of the Year: 2007

Television Personality Awards

See also

In Spanish: Lee Chun-soo para niños