Angela Arnelle Boo

STEM 185-JOB

Lee Dong-gook was born on 29th April 1979 in Gyeongbuk, South Korea. An athletic kid, he spent
hours practicing his soccer skills and with the support from his parents, he kept improving his game. By the
time he was in high school, he had grown into a competitive striker and at the age of 15, he got the chance to
join Pohang Steelers, a South Korean club. His game further improved post joining the club a nd at the age of
19, he made his national level football debut as a striker.

Playing in the domestic tournaments for his team Pohang Steelers, Lee exhibited some really good striking
skills, where his solid performance got him in the eyes of the national team selectors. This paved way for Lee to join
the South Korean U-19 team in 1998 and then the national team in the very same year.

Playing for his national U-19 team, in a major tournament such as AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup
in 1998, he led his team to a victory. He was one of the key strikers since the very beginning and at a young age of
19, he proved himself to be a player with high possibilities of becoming an international star.

He also managed to secure a place in the South Korean team for the FIFA World Cup 1998 and at the 2000
AFC Asian Cup, where he became the top scorer by the end of the tournament with six goals to his credit.

Lee then was sent on loan to play in the local German league, for the club Werder Bremen, one of the
strongest teams in the Germany’s Bundesliga. But sadly enough, his time there was plagued with injuries and hence,
he did not get a chance to play too much and after spending six months in Germany, he continued his time with
Pohang Steelers back in Korea.

In 2002, he decided to join the military for his mandatory service and there, he became a
member of the team Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo. He remained part of the team and played two seasons
for them in the K-League Classic and once he returned from his military service in 2004, his game had
further improved as he joined the Steelers back.

By the beginning of 2007, the English Premier League club Middlesbrough came looking for some South
Korean talent to be a part of their line-up and they found Lee to be the perfect choice for the same. Lee was then
signed on an 18 months contract and made his debut in a match against Reading in February 2007.

He made a switch to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2009 during an unexpected transfer, and as if that
that was exactly the thing he needed, he played magnificently, leading his team to a tournament win at the
2009 K-League. In the 27 league matches that he ended up playing, he scored a total of 20 goals, and by the
time he began the season 2012, he had already become the leading goal scorer in the history of K-League with
record 117 goals. He was invited to play the 2018 World Cup qualifier, due to being one of the most experienced
players available.