Lee Kwang-jong

Lee Kwang-jong (Korean: 이광종, 1 April 1964 – 26 September 2016) was a South Korean football player and manager.^[1]

Lee Kwang-jong

Personal information
Date of birth	(1964-04-01)1 April 1964
Place of birth	Gimpo, South Korea
Date of death	26 September 2016(2016-09-26) (aged 52)
Place of death	Seoul, South Korea
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1995	Yukong Elephants	196	(26)
1996–1997	Suwon Samsung Bluewings	38	(6)
Total		234	(32)
Managerial career
2003	South Korea U17 (caretaker)
2004–2005	South Korea U20 (assistant)
2007–2009	South Korea U17
2010–2013	South Korea U20
2013–2015	South Korea U23
Medal record Men's football Representing  South Korea (as manager) Asian Games 2014 Incheon AFC U-19 Championship Winner 2012 United Arab Emirates AFC U-16 Championship Runner-up 2008 Uzbekistan
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Managerial career

Lee was temporarily appointed manager of the South Korea national under-17 team during the 2004 AFC U-17 Championship qualification in October 2003.^[2] He became an assistant coach of the national under-20 team the next year,^[3] and participated in the 2004 AFC Youth Championship and the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.^[4][5]

Lee was appointed permanent manager of the national under-17s in October 2007,^[6] and qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup by leading his team to a runner-up finish at the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship.^[7] Under him, South Korea reached the quarter-finals at the U-17 World Cup for the first time in 22 years since 1987.^[8]

Lee moved to the under-20 team the next year.^[9] He could not call up three forwards playing at Big Five leagues, namely Son Heung-min, Ji Dong-won and Nam Tae-hee, for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup due to their clubs' disallowance.^[10] His team earned three points in three group stage matches, narrowly avoiding early elimination.^[11] They lost 7–6 on penalties to Spain after a goalless draw in the round of 16.^[12]

Lee managed the next generation at the under-20 team after the 2011 U-20 World Cup. The new players were called the "Valley Generation", which meant the weakest generation, in South Korea, but unexpectedly won the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship under him.^[13] There were no key players among them, but their teamwork also led them to the quarter-finals at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.^[14]

Lee was promoted to under-23 team manager in November 2013.^[15] The players showed weaknesses in frontline movements and set pieces while playing at the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship,^[16] and so he called up overage target forward Kim Shin-wook to remedy the defective offense prior to the 2014 Asian Games.^[17] However, Kim was injured in the second group stage match, and Lee had to change his plan.^[18] His team constructed a strong defense around captain Jang Hyun-soo,^[19] and brought a gold medal after winning all seven matches without conceding a goal.^[20][21] The Korea Football Association extended the contract with him until the end of the 2016 Summer Olympics.^[22]

In February 2015, Lee suffered from an acute leukemia, resigning from his post.^[23] On 26 September 2016, he died at the age of 52.^[24]

Honours

Player

Yukong Elephants

• K League 1: 1989
• Korean League Cup: 1994

Manager

South Korea U17

• AFC U-16 Championship runner-up: 2008

South Korea U20

• AFC U-19 Championship: 2012

South Korea U23

• Asian Games: 2014