 Lee withIncheon United in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lee Chun-soo | ||
| Date of birth | (1981-07-09)9 July 1981 (age 43) | ||
| Place of birth | Incheon, South Korea | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||
| 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[α] | (11) |
| 2000–2008 | South Korea | 78 | (10) |
Medal record | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
| Lee Chun-soo | |
| Hangul | 이천수 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 李天秀 |
| Revised Romanization | I Cheon-su |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Ch'ŏnsu |
Lee Chun-soo (Korean: 이천수; born 9 July 1981) is aSouth Korean retiredfootball player. He played as aforward for theSouth Korea national team at the2002 and2006 editions of theFIFA World Cup.
Lee recorded seven goals and nine assists during 18 appearances in the2002 K League, showing his talent in his first professional season.[2] After becoming a World Cup semi-finalist and thetop assist provider of the K League at the age of 19, he was named theAsian Young Footballer of the Year by theAsian Football Confederation.[3]
In July 2003, he joinedReal Sociedad, the runners-up of the2002–03 La Liga, becoming the first Korean to play in La Liga. However, after a mediocre season, he was loaned out to fellow La Liga sideNumancia, and ultimately returned to South Korea. He was unable to score in the La Liga in his two years there.[4]
Lee rejoined Ulsan in mid-season. He especially scored a hat trick in the first leg of thechampionship final.[5] He was subsequently named the K League'sMost Valuable Player.[6]
The next year, he scored a hat-trick againstGamba Osaka at theA3 Champions Cup.[7]
In the summer of 2008, Lee joinedFeyenoord of theEredivisie. He got the second chance to play in Europe, but failed to adapt to the Netherlands. While he competed in Feyenoord, he was scammed in his country, and took a two-week vacation to solve the problem.[8] He had difficulty concentrating on football due to his case of fraud, and Feyenoord officially announced Lee's loan to South Korean teamSuwon Samsung Bluewings on a one-year deal in July 2008.
Even in Suwon, his stint was ill-received: he performed poorly, had clashes with the coaching staff, and was banished from the K League. After a few months, Suwon released him from the banishment, and he could be loaned toJeonnam Dragons on 26 February 2009.[citation needed]
In June 2009, he claimed he couldn't reject his transfer according to his contract with Feyenoord if another club suggest a high salary to him, and he joined a Saudi clubAl-Nassr in the middle of the season. However, the dual contract did not exist in reality, and he was prohibited from joining the K League again after Jeonnam got to know the truth.[9]
In March 2010, he left Al-Nassr because the club did not give his wages for three months.[10] He joined aJ1 League clubOmiya Ardija, and played in Japan for a year and a half.
After leaving Omiya Ardija, Lee did not join any foreign professional club for a year, and hoped to play in South Korea. Jeonnam Dragons released his indefinite banishment after watching his behavior including three apologies at the stadium.[11] On 31 March 2013, he came back to theK League withIncheon United in a game againstDaejeon Citizen 1,381 days after the last game with Jeonnam.[12]
On 5 November 2015, he announced his retirement as a player. His retirement ceremony was held at half time of a World Cup qualifier between South Korea andLebanon in March 2016.[13]
In 1999, Lee was selected for theSouth Korean under-20 team, participating in theBangabandhu Cup. He scored five goals againstThailand in his debut game,[14] and also scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Brazil.
Lee was also a member of theSouth Korean under-23 team in the2000 Summer Olympics. In a group match againstMorocco, he almost missed a crucial penalty, but succeeded in scoring from therebound.[15]
In the2002 FIFA World Cup held in his country, Lee was a substitute of theSouth Korean national team, but showed good dribbles and defense when appearing.[16] After main players were injured, Lee got an opportunity as a starter in the semi-finals againstGermany. In this game, however, he was criticised for displaying a greediness for goal with little regard for teamwork, although he made a memorable shot saved byOliver Kahn.[16]
Unlike in the 2002 World Cup, Lee played as a starter in the2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored South Korea's first goal with a free kick againstTogo in a 2–1 win.[17]
In 2005, he took a special seminar at Goyang Baekyang Middle School withChung Mong-joon, president of theKorea Football Association.[18]
In June 2014, he starred in anSNL Korea episode, when he played a parody of the gamePro Evolution Soccer 2014 called "GTA Winner Eleven 2014" alongsideKim Min-kyo.[19]
On November 5, 2015, when he was about to retire from active duty, he appeared onJTBC Newsroom. During the broadcast, Lee confessed that he intentionally hitPaolo Maldini in the head during the 2002 FIFA World Cup against Italy.[20]
In December 2015, he appeared on theKing of Mask Singer in Episode 38 as (with the stage name "Know Thyself Socrates") show and displayed his singing skills.[21]
As of March 2016, he is a commentator forJTBC3 Fox Sports.[22]
In 2019, He was appointed as the head of strength and conditioning for his hometown team Incheon United ahead of the 2019 season,[23] but resigned from the position in August 2020.[24]
In January 2021, he was appointed as theChairman of the Social Contribution Committee of the Korea Football Association.[25]
In June 2021, Lee signed a contract with DH Entertainment.[26]
In October 2024, he participated in theNexon Icon Match in Korea as a striker team.[27]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i | 2002 | K League | 18 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 9 | |
| 2003 | K League | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 8 | |||
| Total | 36 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 39 | 17 | |||
| Real Sociedad | 2003–04 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Numancia (loan) | 2004–05 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i | 2005 | K League | 14 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 7 | |
| 2006 | K League | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 10 | |
| 2007 | K League | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | 27 | 7 | ||
| Total | 48 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 72 | 24 | ||
| Feyenoord | 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings (loan) | 2008 | K League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | |
| Jeonnam Dragons (loan) | 2009 | K League | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 4 | |
| Al-Nassr | 2009–10 | Saudi Pro League | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 3 | |
| Omiya Ardija | 2010 | J1 League | 16 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 4 | |
| 2011 | J1 League | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 6 | ||
| Total | 43 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 46 | 10 | ||
| Incheon United | 2013 | K League 1 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | K League 1 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 1 | |||
| 2015 | K League 1 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| Total | 67 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 68 | 5 | ||||
| Career total | 260 | 52 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 305 | 64 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 2000 | 9 | 2 |
| 2001 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 17 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 78 | 10 | |
| 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Society Game | Himself | ||
| 2021 | Golden Eleven 2 | Himself | [29] | |
| 2021 | Brad PT & GYM Carry | Himself | [30] | |
| 2022–present | Mr. House Husband 2 | Himself | [31] | |
| 2022 | Gundesliga | Himself | [32] |
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Ssangssang Invitational | Himself | [33] |
Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Feyenoord
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Incheon United
South Korea U23
South Korea
Individual
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KBS Entertainment Awards | 2022 | Top Excellence Award in Reality Category | Mr. House Husband 2 | Won | [50] |
Awards | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
