By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
Korean International defender Lee Jung-soo of Kyoto Sanga FC has been transferred to the 2009 J-League champion Kashima Antlers.
Kashima announced the deal on its Web site Tuesday.
The 29-year-old crossed the East Sea after he led Suwon BlueWings to the league championship last year. During the 2009 season, Lee appeared in 32 games scoring five goals.
Kyoto Sanga was not asking for a transfer fee for Lee, which made him an attractive option for Kashima.
Lee, who earned about 60 million yen (770 million won) in annual salary in Kyoto, will reportedly receive a raise of about 20 million yen with his new team.
Kashima will play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League next season, and has been drawn in a group with Korean champions Jeonbuk Motors.
"It is honor for me to play with high-quality players as well as great manager," Lee said of the Antlers boss, Oswaldo de Oliveira. "I will do my best to help the team get good results in the J-League and the Champions League."