Daejeon Hana Citizen, seeking to win, had another big fish. The main character is Lee Myung-jae, who is 'national fullback'.
An official familiar with the K-League transfer market said "Daejeon has agreed to recruit Lee Myung-jae. I will conduct a medical test within this week and sign it. There will be an announcement soon." Daejeon is making tremendous strides this summer, bringing in Yeo Seung-won, Kim Bong-soo, Seo Jin-soo, and Hernandez, and even Lee Myung-jae.
Lee Myung-jae's contract with Birmingham City in the British Championship (second division) recently expired. Lee Myung-jae, who wore a Birmingham uniform through the transfer market last winter, had difficulty adapting early and did not have a chance to play. Still, he played in the last three games and succeeded in making his European debut. Lee Myung-jae, who signed a short-term contract, agonized over his future after the contract expired.
The first priority was to stay in Birmingham. Lee Myung-jae wanted to keep challenging himself on the European stage. He showed his affection for Birmingham after adjusting. Birmingham also wanted to be accompanied by Lee Myung-jae. They set the table, and negotiations continued. However, Birmingham, who are seeking promotion to the English Premier League next season, wanted a better profile player. He acknowledged the value of Lee Myung-jae, but did not make a proposal.
While negotiating with Birmingham, proposals were made from other European teams. I sent an offer from Belgium as well as the Championship Club. The Middle East also showed interest.
Meanwhile, Lee Myung-jae returned to Korea and focused on building his body. In the meantime, I contacted K-League teams. It was for the World Cup. Lee Myung-jae moved away from the national team after failing to get a chance to play after moving to Birmingham. After the third qualifying round for the North Korea-China World Cup, Hong declared 'Condition' as the standard for selecting the final entry in the future. Lee Myung-jae, who kept his participation in the World Cup as his lifelong dream, could not insist on living abroad. I found a team that can play comfortably.
Lee Myung-jae was the first to meet with Ulsan 'Friendship Team', but failed to narrow the difference. Daejeon dug into this gap. Daejeon made a bold bet. Lee Myung-jae, who did not think about moving to other teams in the K League, also turned his mind to Daejeon's sincerity. Daejeon has consistently shown interest in Lee Myung-jae since last winter.
Jung Warning-Lee Myung-jae, who went through Hongik University, made his professional debut in 2014 in Ulsan's uniform. The start wasn't easy. He was not easily established in Ulsan. He also went on a loan transfer to Niigata, Japan for a while.It shook, but it didn't collapse. Lee Myung-jae stood out in 2017 by gaining the upper hand in the main competition. The crisis came once again. He was immersed in rehabilitation for a while due to an injury in 2020 when he was a member of the Armed Forces Sports Unit.
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Lee Myung-jae turned the crisis into an opportunity again this time. He returned to Ulsan after being discharged from the military and showed his skills. In particular, he played a key role in Ulsan in the 2022-2024 season, helping the team to its first three consecutive losses. In 2024, he was honored to be selected as the defender category 'Best 11' at the K League Awards.
Lee Myung-jae, who silently kept his position on his team, wore the national flag as 'late national team'. He joined the A team for the first time in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup held in March 2024. He was the first Taegeuk mark in his 30s, but he made an impression with his veteran style of play. In particular, Coach Hong has established himself as a clear starting player after taking over the A national team. He played in all the first to sixth games of the third Asian qualifying round for the North-China World Cup.
With Lee Myung-jae's addition, Daejeon upgraded its troubled full-back. Daejeon, which brought Yeo Seung-won, Kim Bong-soo, Seo Jin-soo, and Hernandez this summer, added Lee Myung-jae to build the championship. Daejeon is going to fill a spot of foreign players with the last puzzle.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
