Life is unpredictable. It is hard to predict where it will go. At the same time, every moment is a choice. The consequences are also not guaranteed. It’s ironic, but so it’s more interesting. Life that goes according to plan is boring.
The path that “Lion King” Lee Dong-gook (45) walked was like that. It has never been flat. From 1989, when he first wore soccer shoes when he was a fourth grader, to when he was 41 years old in November 2020, he constantly played the ground.
This is the case even now. For the past three years after retirement, he has not set any clear goals and has been doing things he wants to do as much as he wants. Starting with a soccer commentator, he has engaged in various broadcasting activities and also ran a YouTube channel as a hobby.
As a result, those who do not know that Lee Dong-gook was the best goal scorer in Korean soccer with a phenomenal record of 344 goals in 845 games come to mind starting with “Daddy of 5 siblings” and “Daddy of Daebak (the youngest Xi’an’s nickname).”
His bold challenge never stopped. In May 2024, he named himself a writer. He published his autobiographical essay “No Choice Knows the Result” reflecting on his 40th life. He published his autobiography in 2013, but since he was an active athlete, it was regrettable that he couldn’t tell the deep story.
At a press conference for the publication of an essay at a pretty cafe in central Seoul on Thursday, Lee Dong-gook said, “I have been doing this and that to live a life without competition.” Being a writer is an expression of my will to open another chapter in my life. It was not an impromptu decision. “When I was preparing for retirement, I wanted to look back on my life and record it. It was just a little delayed,” he said.
Most of the essays were written based on experiences as players. However, the essence of “continuity of choice” was not omitted. He chose to play soccer a little later and joined the professional league (Pohang Steelers) as a high school graduate instead of going to college, which allowed him to emerge as a star.
Of course, he had a lot of challenges. He appeared as a comet at the 1998 France World Cup, but failed to make the final entry at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he had to give up his dream due to a cruciate ligament injury. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa ended in disappointment. 메이저사이트
Instead, he always chose the best option. After returning from injury in 2007, he became the fourth Korean to advance to the English Premier League (Middlesbrough). A year and a half was not a success, but it was worth it. He had another life-changing choice. He joined Jeonbuk in 2009. As if to be kicked out of Seongnam Ilhwa (currently Seongnam FC), he accepted the coach Choi Kang-hee’s sincerity and wore a green jersey, refusing the club that guaranteed him a huge salary. Double-digit goals and 10 trophies in 10 consecutive seasons are the outcome of his decision.
Lee is also cautiously preparing to return to the soccer field. Although the timing and direction are not yet clear, he is receiving P-level leadership license training with all possibilities in mind, and is also completing a technical director program. “After all, you have to live a life divided into soccer. It is different to make a decision while you are ready and not,” Act 3. When and what choice will Lee make.