Lee Chun-soo (Korean: 이천수; born 9 July 1981) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a winger and attacking midfielder. He was known for his pace, dribbling ability, and proficiency at free kicks.
Lee began his professional career with Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in 2002, winning the K League Rookie of the Year award. In 2003, he became the first South Korean to join a La Liga club when he signed for Real Sociedad. After a loan spell at Numancia, he returned to Ulsan in 2005, helping the club win the league title and winning the league's MVP award. He subsequently played for Feyenoord and clubs in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, finishing his career at Incheon United in 2015.
Lee scored 10 goals in 78 appearances for South Korea between 2000 and 2008. He appeared in all seven matches as the team reached the semifinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he scored a free kick against Togo in South Korea's first World Cup victory outside their own country. He also competed at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics and helped South Korea finish third at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
Lee was known for his outspoken manner and confrontational behavior during his playing career, which was also marked by disciplinary suspensions and disputes with clubs. After retirement, he worked in football administration and became a television personality and football commentator. As of 2021, he also runs the YouTube channel Richunsu.
Lee was born in Incheon and began playing football in the fourth grade at Bupyeong Elementary School. He then attended Bupyeongdong Middle School and Bupyeong High School. Lee's family experienced financial difficulties after his father's employer went bankrupt while Lee was in middle school, and he frequently struggled to pay his football team's boarding fees during high school.
Lee initially was not a starter for his high school because of his small stature but trained at night to improve his fitness. He and his school teammates Choi Tae-uk and Park Yong-ho were known as the "Bupyeong trio"; all three later represented South Korea at senior level. Lee first attracted attention in 1998, when he helped Bupyeong win the autumn high-school football federation tournament, finishing as its top scorer with eight goals. He then helped the school win three titles in 1999, and professional clubs sought to recruit him later that year.
Lee entered Korea University in 2000, turning down professional offers on the understanding that he could pursue a move abroad. That March, he helped the university win the President's Cup. His performances in 2000 earned him the nickname "Millennium Express" (밀레니엄 특급). Lee left university after his second year and joined Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in February 2002.
Lee signed a five-year contract with Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in February 2002, with the club agreeing to support a future move abroad. He scored on his professional debut against Suwon Samsung Bluewings on 10 July 2002.
Lee recorded seven goals and nine assists in 18 appearances during the 2002 K League season. He helped Ulsan win their final eight matches and finish as runners-up. He won the league's top assist provider award and was selected for the Best XI. He was also named Rookie of the Year, receiving 73 of 74 votes.
In May 2003, Lee was named the Asian Football Confederation's Young Player of the Year for 2002. He recorded eight goals and six assists in 18 league appearances for Ulsan in 2003 before joining Real Sociedad in July.
In July 2003, Lee joined Real Sociedad for a transfer fee of US$3.5 million, signing a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. He became the first South Korean to join a La Liga club.
Lee made his competitive debut against Espanyol on 30 August 2003. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Darko Kovačević scoring Sociedad's equaliser by finishing Lee's chip over the goalkeeper. Lee was credited with an assist. That September, he told Korean reporters that he hoped to move to Barcelona within two years and join Real Madrid two years later.
Lee made 21 competitive appearances during the 2003–04 season, including 13 in La Liga and six in the UEFA Champions League, without scoring. Reflecting on the move in 2018, Lee said that he had been unprepared to live abroad and had struggled to adapt to a different culture. He recalled difficulties connecting with manager Raynald Denoueix and credited teammate Javier de Pedro with helping him settle in.
In August 2004, Lee joined Numancia on a season-long loan. He initially impressed, with Spanish sports newspaper AS selecting him as its player of the match against both Getafe and Albacete in September.
By January 2005, Lee had lost his place in the side, and manager Máximo Hernández publicly expressed concern about his form and condition. He made 16 competitive appearances for Numancia without scoring.
Reflecting on Lee's spell in 2024, his former coach Francisco said that language difficulties forced him to explain tactics through diagrams and left Lee feeling isolated. Teammate Juanlu recalled that Lee impressed in training but struggled to reproduce those performances in matches, despite his teammates' efforts to help him settle.
In March 2005, Numancia and Real Sociedad agreed to terminate the loan early. Lee returned to South Korea to recover from a hamstring injury, and Sociedad agreed that he would rejoin Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i at the end of the season.
Lee returned to Ulsan for the second half of the 2005 K League season. On 27 November, he scored a hat-trick and provided an assist in a 5–1 away victory over Incheon United in the first leg of the championship final. Ulsan won 6–3 on aggregate to claim their first league title in nine years. In the second leg, Lee became the fastest player to reach both 20 goals and 20 assists in the K League, doing so in 50 appearances. He recorded seven goals and five assists across the regular season and play-offs and received the league's MVP award at the end of the season.