How underdog coach Lee Jung-hyo is transforming Korean football

New Suwon Samsung Bluewings head coach Lee Jung-hyo poses during his inauguration ceremony in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 2. Yonhap

Lee Jung-hyo, widely regarded as one of the most intriguing figures in Korean sports, added a new chapter to his unlikely ascent this week when he was named Coach of the Year at the 2025 Korea Football Association Awards — the top honor bestowed on a head coach in the K League, the country’s professional soccer system.

The 51-year-old arrived at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, in his trademark black leather jacket, thanked Gwangju FC for the opportunity that set his career in motion and pledged to push Korean football in a new direction.

The coaching world in Korea has long been shaped by elite university networks and establishment connections — a culture where who you know often matters more than what you know. Lee has none of those conventional credentials.

As a player, he spent a decade at Busan IPark without ever earning a call-up to the national team. When he was appointed head coach of Gwangju FC in 2022 — a chronically underfunded, community-owned club then in the second division — he was largely unknown beyond a small circle in Korean football.

What happened next turned heads.

In his first season, Lee steered Gwangju to the second division title with a record points haul, securing promotion to the first division. A year later, a team widely tipped for relegation finished third — one of the most improbable overachievements in league history. By 2025, he had taken the club to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite, Asia’s premier club competition. It was the lowest-budget team remaining in the field.

Lee Jung-hyo gives instructions to his players at Gwangju FC during a Hana Bank K League 1 2024 match against Pohang Steelers at Gwangju Football Stadium, Sept. 13, 2024. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

"At 4-0, you push for 5-0. That is how you show respect to your opponent," Lee said in a 2022 interview, defending his decision to keep attacking in a match that was already decided. "That is how Gwangju becomes a truly strong team."

His recently published book, "There Is an Answer," offers a window into the intensity of his mindset. "There are no shortcuts on the road to your goal," he writes. "There is no losers’ bracket."

Rejecting the star-driven model, Lee builds around a tactical system — pressing and positional discipline so ingrained that, as he puts it, any player can step in and execute. It is an approach that has won over a fan base weary of complacency in the Korean game.

The narrative shifted this winter when Lee left Gwangju for Suwon Samsung Bluewings, a storied four-time champion currently languishing in the second division. His arrival triggered an immediate migration of top talent to the lower tier. Jeong Ho-yeon, a national team midfielder, rejected Major League Soccer for a loan to Suwon, followed by the veteran defender Hong Jeong-ho and Brazilian striker Isnairo Reis.

At Lee’s Jan. 2 introductory press conference, attended by more than 100 journalists in a turnout typically reserved for national team appointments, he delivered a message that resonated far beyond football.

"Even now, many people hope I fail. I hope they keep watching because they will keep me motivated," he said. "If you endure when it is hardest, your chance will come. So endure."

Lee’s Suwon opens its season against Seoul E-Land at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.