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Lee Dong-gook facts for kids

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In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
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Lee Dong-gook
이동국 2020년.jpg
Lee in 2020
Personal information
Date of birth (1979-04-29) 29 April 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
Height 1.87 m
Playing position Striker
Youth career
1995–1997 Pohang Jecheol Technical High School [ko]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1998–2007 Pohang Steelers 102 (38)
2000–2001 → Werder Bremen (loan) 7 (0)
2003–2005 → Gwangju Sangmu (draft) 46 (12)
2007–2008 Middlesbrough 23 (0)
2008 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 10 (2)
2009–2020 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 356 (162)
Total 544 (214)
National team
1998–1999 South Korea U20 9 (6)
1999–2002 South Korea U23 29 (20)
1998–2017 South Korea 105 (33)
Honours
Representing  South Korea
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Bronze 2000 Lebanon Team
Bronze 2007 Indonesia/Malaysia
/Thailand/Vietnam		 Team
Asian Games
Bronze 2002 Busan Team
AFC Youth Championship
Gold 1998 Thailand Team
EAFF Championship
Silver 2010 Japan Team
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
Lee Dong-gook
Hangul
이동국
Hanja
李同國
Revised Romanization I Dong-guk
McCune–Reischauer I Tongguk

Lee Dong-gook (Hangul: 이동국; Hanja: 李同國; born April 29, 1979) is a famous former football player from South Korea. He was a powerful striker, known for scoring many goals. He holds the record for most goals in the K League 1, which is South Korea's top football league. Lee also played for big teams in Europe, like Werder Bremen and Middlesbrough. He proudly represented South Korea in two FIFA World Cups and three AFC Asian Cups.

Club Career Highlights

Starting with Pohang Steelers

In 1998, Lee joined the K League club Pohang Steelers. He decided to start his professional football career right away. He was named the Rookie of the Year in his first season. He scored eleven goals for Pohang that year. He also helped Pohang win the Asian Club Championship. This was a big achievement for the team.

In January 2001, Lee went to play for Bundesliga club Werder Bremen in Germany. This was a loan move, meaning he played there temporarily. He played only seven matches as a substitute during his six months there. He returned to Pohang Steelers after this loan spell.

In 2006, Lee was playing very well, scoring six goals in seven matches. However, he got a serious knee injury in April 2006. This injury kept him out of the game for six months. Because of this, he could not play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Playing for Middlesbrough

In January 2007, Lee moved to England to play for Premier League club Middlesbrough. He signed an 18-month contract with the team. He made his first appearance on February 24, 2007. He came on as a substitute in a match against Reading.

Lee scored his first goal for Middlesbrough on August 29, 2007. This goal was against Northampton Town in the 2007–08 Football League Cup. He scored his second goal on January 26, 2008, against Mansfield Town in the 2007–08 FA Cup. However, he did not score any goals in his 23 matches in the Premier League. His contract ended in 2008, and Middlesbrough did not extend it.

Success with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

After a short time with Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in 2008, Lee joined Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2009. This move changed his career for the better. In the 2009 K League, Lee became the top scorer. He scored 21 goals in 29 matches. Jeonbuk also won their very first league trophy that year. Lee was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his amazing performance.

In the 2011 K League, Lee continued to shine. He scored 16 goals and made 15 assists in 29 matches. This helped Jeonbuk win their second league title. He was named the MVP again and also the top assist provider. He also led Jeonbuk to the 2011 AFC Champions League Final. He scored nine goals in that tournament before the final. Jeonbuk lost the final, but Lee was still named the MVP and the top scorer of the tournament.

On March 3, 2012, Lee made history. He became the K League's all-time leading scorer with 117 goals. This happened when he scored two goals in the first match of the 2012 K League season.

In 2013, something unusual happened in a K League match. Lee accidentally scored a goal from far away while trying to return the ball to the other team's goalkeeper. To show good sportsmanship, Jeonbuk's goalkeeper then scored an own goal on purpose. This made the score fair again.

Lee won his third and fourth MVP awards in 2014 and 2015. He helped Jeonbuk win more K League titles. On March 15, 2016, Lee scored his 30th AFC Champions League goal. This made him the all-time top scorer in the AFC Champions League. On November 26, 2016, Lee and Jeonbuk won the 2016 AFC Champions League title.

On June 2, 2019, Lee scored his 200th career goal for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. This was in a match against Sangju Sangmu. On May 9, 2020, Lee scored the only goal in a 1–0 win. This match was special because it was one of the first league games in the world played during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On November 1, 2020, Lee played his last game after a 23-year career. He had his retirement ceremony right after the game. This match was the final round of the 2020 K League 1. Jeonbuk won the game and secured their fourth league title in a row. On November 8, 2020, he played his very last match as a substitute in the 2020 Korean FA Cup final. He won his final trophy that day.

International Career with South Korea

Lee Dong-gook was a part of the South Korea national football team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He played one match against the Netherlands as a substitute. After the World Cup, he helped South Korea win the AFC Youth Championship. He was named the MVP and top scorer of that tournament.

Lee also played in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. He scored three goals against Indonesia. This was South Korea's only win in the group stage. He scored a "golden goal" in extra time against Iran in the quarter-finals. He also scored in the semi-finals against Saudi Arabia. South Korea lost that game. He became the top goalscorer of the tournament with six goals. He scored the winning goal in the third-place match against China.

In 2002, Lee was not chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup team. Fans sometimes called him "Lazy Genius" because they felt he didn't always use his full talent. This was partly because the coach wanted players with strong stamina and speed.

Lee was chosen for the national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, a knee injury he got in a K League match stopped him from playing in the tournament. In 2007, Lee was temporarily suspended from the national team for a period.

Lee was a reserve striker for the national team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He came on as a substitute in the match against Uruguay. He had a chance to score but missed, and South Korea lost the game. This was a tough moment for him.

Lee played in the qualifying matches for the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, he was not part of the final teams for those tournaments.

Personal Life

Lee Dong-gook married Lee Soo-jin in December 2005. Lee Soo-jin was a runner-up in the Miss Korea contest in 1997. They have five children together. They have twin daughters named Lee Jae-si and Lee Jae-ah, born in 2007. They also have another set of twin daughters, Lee Seol-ah and Lee Soo-ah, born in 2013. Their son, Lee Si-an, nicknamed Daebak, was born in 2014.

Lee and his five children appeared on a popular TV show called The Return of Superman. They were on the show from 2015 to 2019. This show features famous Korean fathers taking care of their children for 48 hours without their wives. Lee was the first person on the show to have five children to look after.

In December 2022, Lee signed with Think Entertainment.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Pohang Steelers 1998 K League 15 7 0 0 9 4 ? ? — 24 11
1999 K League 15 7 0 0 4 1 ? ? — 19 8
2000 K League 7 4 0 0 1 0 — — 8 4
2001 K League 17 3 2 1 — — — 19 4
2002 K League 21 7 4 3 0 0 — — 25 10
2005 K League 17 3 3 0 7 4 — — 27 7
2006 K League 10 7 0 0 0 0 ? ? — 10 7
Total 102 38 9 4 21 9 — — 132 51
Werder Bremen (loan) 2000–01 Bundesliga 7 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 7 0
Gwangju Sangmu (draft) 2003 K League 27 11 0 0 0 0 — — 27 11
2004 K League 19 1 2 0 4 3 — — 25 4
2005 K League — — 1 0 — — 1 0
Total 46 12 2 0 5 3 — — 53 15
Middlesbrough 2006–07 Premier League 9 0 2 0 0 0 — — 11 0
2007–08 Premier League 14 0 2 1 2 1 — — 18 2
Total 23 0 4 1 2 1 — — 29 2
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 2008 K League 10 2 0 0 3 0 — — 13 2
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2009 K League 29 21 4 4 3 1 — — 36 26
2010 K League 28 12 2 0 2 1 8 4 — 40 17
2011 K League 29 16 1 0 0 0 8 9 — 38 25
2012 K League 40 26 2 2 — 6 4 — 48 32
2013 K League 1 30 13 2 2 — 8 3 — 40 18
2014 K League 1 31 13 2 0 — 7 3 — 40 16
2015 K League 1 33 13 1 1 — 7 4 — 41 18
2016 K League 1 27 12 0 0 — 13 5 1 0 41 17
2017 K League 1 30 10 1 0 — — — 31 10
2018 K League 1 35 13 2 0 — 8 4 — 45 17
2019 K League 1 33 9 0 0 — 8 1 — 41 10
2020 K League 1 11 4 1 0 — 1 0 — 13 4
Total 356 162 18 9 5 2 75 37 0 455 210
Career total 544 214 33 14 36 15 75 37 1 0 689 280

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
South Korea 1998 8 0
2000 10 8
2001 6 1
2002 4 0
2003 1 0
2004 10 8
2005 15 4
2006 9 1
2007 7 0
2009 4 0
2010 10 3
2011 2 0
2012 8 5
2013 5 0
2014 4 3
2017 2 0
Career total 105 33
Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lee goal.
List of international goals scored by Lee Dong-gook
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 17 February 2000 Los Angeles, United States  Costa Rica 1–0 2–2 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2 7 October 2000 Dubai, United Arab Emirates  Australia 4–2 4–2 2000 LG Cup
3 19 October 2000 Tripoli, Lebanon  Indonesia 1–0 3–0 2000 AFC Asian Cup
4 2–0
5 3–0
6 23 October 2000 Tripoli, Lebanon  Iran 2–1 2–1 (aet) 2000 AFC Asian Cup
7 26 October 2000 Beirut, Lebanon  Saudi Arabia 1–2 1–2 2000 AFC Asian Cup
8 29 October 2000 Beirut, Lebanon  China 1–0 1–0 2000 AFC Asian Cup
9 16 September 2001 Busan, South Korea  Nigeria 2–1 2–1 Friendly
10 10 July 2004 Gwangju, South Korea  Bahrain 1–0 2–0 Friendly
11 23 July 2004 Jinan, China  United Arab Emirates 1–0 2–0 2004 AFC Asian Cup
12 27 July 2004 Jinan, China  Kuwait 1–0 4–0 2004 AFC Asian Cup
13 2–0
14 31 July 2004 Jinan, China  Iran 2–2 3–4 2004 AFC Asian Cup
15 8 September 2004 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  Vietnam 1–1 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
16 17 November 2004 Seoul, South Korea  Maldives 2–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
17 19 December 2004 Busan, South Korea  Germany 2–1 3–1 Friendly
18 9 February 2005 Seoul, South Korea  Kuwait 1–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
19 30 March 2005 Seoul, South Korea  Uzbekistan 2–0 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
20 8 June 2005 Kuwait City, Kuwait  Kuwait 2–0 4–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
21 16 November 2005 Seoul, South Korea  Serbia and Montenegro 2–0 2–0 Friendly
22 15 February 2006 Los Angeles, United States  Mexico 1–0 1–0 Friendly
23 7 February 2010 Tokyo, Japan  Hong Kong 3–0 5–0 2010 EAFF Championship
24 14 February 2010 Tokyo, Japan  Japan 1–1 3–1 2010 EAFF Championship
25 3 March 2010 London, Great Britain  Ivory Coast 1–0 2–0 Friendly
26 25 February 2012 Jeonju, South Korea  Uzbekistan 1–0 4–2 Friendly
27 2–0
28 29 February 2012 Seoul, South Korea  Kuwait 1–0 2–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
29 11 September 2012 Tashkent, Uzbekistan  Uzbekistan 2–1 2–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
30 14 November 2012 Hwaseong, South Korea  Australia 1–0 1–2 Friendly
31 5 September 2014 Bucheon, South Korea  Venezuela 2–1 3–1 Friendly
32 3–1
33 14 October 2014 Seoul, South Korea  Costa Rica 1–1 1–3 Friendly

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Note(s) Ref.
2012 2 Days & 1 Night Himself Episode 224–226
Healing Camp, Aren't You Happy Himself Episode 27
2015–2019 The Return of Superman Himself Episode 89–298
2019 Knowing Bros Himself Episode 210
2020 Fly Shoot Dori 7th League Himself Episode 1–2, 4–6
Let's Play Soccer Himself Episode 46, 76
The Return of Superman Himself Episode 363
Master in the House Himself Episode 147–148
2021 The Fishermen and the City Season 2 Himself Episode 55–56
My Fantasy House Himself Episode 3–4
Law of the Jungle – Stove League Himself Episode 434–437
Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant Himself Episode 80–81
Comfortable Café Himself (host)
Let's Play Basketball Himself
Law of the Jungle – Masters of Survival Himself Episode 443–445
King of Golf Himself
Comfortable Café 2 Himself (host)
2021–present Let's Play Soccer 2 Himself
2022 Can't Cheat Blood Himself (host)
Legend Festival Himself (host)
Hole-in-one between Legends Himself
Now, Follow Me Himself

Honours and Awards

Player Achievements

Pohang Steelers

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

South Korea U20

  • AFC Youth Championship: 1998

South Korea U23

  • Asian Games bronze medal: 2002

South Korea

  • AFC Asian Cup third place: 2000, 2007
  • EAFF Championship runner-up: 2010

Individual Awards

  • AFC Youth Championship Most Valuable Player: 1998
  • AFC Youth Championship top goalscorer: 1998
  • K League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player: 1998, 2001, 2003, 2012
  • K League All-Star: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019
  • K League Rookie of the Year: 1998
  • AFC Asian Cup top goalscorer: 2000
  • AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2000
  • AFC Asian All-Star: 2000
  • Korean FA Goal of the Year: 2004
  • K League 1 top goalscorer: 2009
  • K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015
  • K League FANtastic Player: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015
  • K League 1 Best XI: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
  • EAFF Championship top goalscorer: 2010
  • K League 1 top assist provider: 2011
  • AFC Champions League top goalscorer: 2011
  • AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2011
  • K League Hall of Fame: 2023

Records

  • K League all-time top goalscorer: 228 goals

Television Personality Awards

List of awards and nominations received by TV personality Lee Dong-gook
Award ceremony Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
KBS Entertainment Awards 2015 Best Entertainer Award The Return of Superman Won
Male MC Newcomer Award Nominated
2016 Top Excellence Award in a Variety Show Won
2018 Grand Prize Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lee Dong-gook para niños

  • List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
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