Lee Dong-guk, the first inductee of the K-League Hall of Fame, which was newly established to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the K-League, expressed his gratitude to his family.
The Korea Professional Football Federation (KFA) held an induction ceremony for six inductees to the K-League Hall of Fame on the 2nd at the Ambassador Pullman Grand Ballroom in Jangchung-dong, Seoul.
Lee Dong-guk was first introduced as a 4th-generation contributor. ‘Lion King’ Lee Dong-guk made his debut in Pohang in 1998 and led the renaissance of the K-League by forming a troika with Ahn Jung-hwan and Ko Jong-soo. Lee Dong-guk, who returned to the K-League after challenging the European stage, went through Seongnam Ilhwa in 2008, joined Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2009, and won eight championships until finally retiring in the 2020 season. With 228 goals and 77 assists in 548 K-League games, Lee Dong-guk holds the record for the most points scored, the most attack points, and the most appearances among field players in K-League history. Lee Dong-guk’s combined vote score was 40.957 points, far ahead of Lee Chun-soo (11.414 points) in second place.
After opening his mouth, “Thank you,” Lee Dong-guk said, “I think it will be the last award I receive as a player, so I will make it long. There are many people I am grateful for. I have been a player for 32 years. I want to thank my parents who supported me from behind. I’ve been to many awards ceremonies, but today is the first time I’ve invited my parents. When I first started playing soccer, I thought I would become a national representative. I’m also grateful to those who gave me the confidence that I would succeed enough when I went from high school to a pro. It was thanks to the performance in Jeonbuk. Thank you to coach Choi Kang-hee. The situation in Jeonbuk is quite bad right now. I hope that the players, fans, and coaching staff will all gather their strength and go up once again. And the great family, support for 23 years I’m here because you did it. My youngest son, Xian, is into soccer these days. I can’t remember my playing career and watch it on YouTube. I’m glad the day has come when I can proudly say that my father succeeded as a player and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. “he said. ㅋㅋㅋ벳
Afterwards, his son Lee Xian-gun delivered a bouquet of flowers and made his dedication ceremony even brighter.