Lee Myung-jae’s first ‘K League 1 Best 11’
Playing as left wing defender this season… 1st place in number of successful crosses – 3rd place in key passes
My dream of debuting in the A match came true at the age of 30 and 138 days old.
“Confidently participating in the attack as part of the national team… “We will show a solid performance in defense as well.”
“It was an unforgettable year in which many of the dreams I had since I was young became reality.”
Lee Myung-jae (31, Ulsan), a side defender of the Korean national soccer team, answered the following question in a recent phone call: ‘What kind of memory will 2024 be in the player’s life?’ This year, Lee Myung-jae was selected as one of the K-League 1 Best 11 for the first time in his career by leading Ulsan in the professional soccer K-League 1 (1st division league) to three consecutive league wins. Lee Myung-jae, who was selected for the national soccer team based on his performance in Ulsan, also achieved his dream of debuting in the international game.
Lee Myung-jae played in 28 K-League 1 games this season and recorded 3 assists. Although he is a defender, he has excellent ability to participate in attacks, and ranked first in the number of successful crosses (44) among the side defenders (67) from 12 teams who participated in K League 1 games this season. The number of key passes (passes that lead to a teammate’s shot) ranks 3rd with 29. Lee Myung-jae took the left wing defender position in the K-League 1 Best 11 at the 2024 K-League Awards ceremony held last month. Myungjae Lee said, “(In the past), whenever I went to an awards ceremony, I would congratulate my colleague who received an award and I would return empty-handed. “I thought, ‘If I don’t win an award this year, maybe I shouldn’t go to the awards ceremony next year,’ but it felt great to be selected as one of the top 11, which was my dream.”
Lee Myung-jae, who debuted as a professional in Ulsan in 2014, said that the reason he was able to improve his skills was because he worked hard to overcome competition for the team’s starting position. Lee Myung-jae competed fiercely in the same position with national team players such as Park Joo-ho (37, retired), Hong Cheol (34, Daegu), and Ki-je Lee (33, Suwon), who played for Ulsan in the past. Myungjae Lee said, “It was really difficult when I couldn’t play in many games. “But I believed that I had to survive here to succeed.”
Lee Myung-jae, who was first selected for the national team in March of this year, was substituted in the second half of the 3rd game of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd qualifier against Thailand on the 21st of the same month under interim coach Hwang Seon-hong (currently Daejeon coach), becoming the seventh Korean player in history. He debuted in the A match at an old age (30 years, 138 days). Lee Myung-jae played in 6 games (5 as a starter) and recorded 1 assist in this year’s North and Central America World Cup Asia 3rd qualifiers, which were held after coach Hong Myung-bo took office. Myungjae Lee said, “I often hear fans call me a ‘late blooming flower.’ “Even when I wasn’t selected for the national team, I worked tirelessly with the thought, ‘I will become a member of the national team someday,’” he said.
It is said that there is a culture in the national team where a player who debuts in an international match celebrates his debut by singing a song in front of his teammates. Lee Myung-jae celebrated his A-match debut by singing singer Oh Seung-geun’s ‘What’s My Age’ with Joo Min-gyu (Ulsan). Joo Min-gyu set the record for the oldest Korean player to debut in an international match (33 years, 343 days) in the third round of the North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd qualifier against Thailand. Lee Myung-jae said, “There are players younger than me among the national team’s side defenders. “Regardless of age, I always want to win the competition,” he said.
Lee Myung-jae’s new dream is to play in the North and Central America World Cup finals. He said, “I want to participate in the offensive work with the national soccer team with more confidence and show a solid performance in defense. “I really want to participate in the World Cup,” he said. Lee Myung-jae said that he has been frequently watching videos of Bayern Munich’s recent German Bundesliga games in order to strengthen his organized and cooperative defense with central defender Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich), who is the core of the national team’s defense.
If Lee Myung-jae wants to continue to be selected for the national team, he must show consistent performance next year. Lee Myung-jae said, “I want to be selected as one of the best 11 at next year’s K-League awards ceremony for two consecutive years. “My goal is to score my debut goal for the national team and be selected as the best player of the game,” he said.
Reporter Jeong Yun-cheol [email protected]
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