Veteran to Give Up Spot on Team Korea

The “Turk Warrior” Lee Eul-yong (31, FC Seoul), who once played in the Turkish league, declared that he will retire from the national football team.

According to Lee’s agency O&D yesterday, Lee expressed his intent to step down from Team Korea after the match against Taiwan. They said that Lee wants to offer a seat on the national team for future players who are preparing for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Since he debuted on the national team in the friendly match against Brazil on March 28 1999, he has played as one of the best Korean midfielders in 51 A-matches and recorded three goals.

O&D also announced that Lee thought about his retirement since right before the World Cup tournament in Germany, and told the team coach Pim Verbeek ahead of the match against Iran that he would resign.

Although Verbeek asked Lee to stay in the team until the end of the Asian Cup tournament, Lee didn’t bend his will, answering, “As we virtually qualified for the tournament, this is the proper moment to step out.”

After playing in the amateur league affiliated with the team of the Korea Railroad Corporation, Lee debuted in professional football after contracting with Bucheon SK in 1998. Scoring a goal and assisting on two, he was one of the main players of Team Korea in the 2002 World Cup as they advanced to the semi-finals.

jaeyuna@donga.com