Lee Dong-gook, technical director of Yongin FC. [Newsis]
Lee Dong-gook, technical director of Yongin FC. [Newsis]

Former soccer star Lee Dong-gook, now technical director of Yongin FC, has opened up about why he once opposed his son Sian's pursuit of a soccer career.

A preview clip from the variety program "Namgyeoseo Mwohage" (tentatively, "What's Left Behind") was released Monday on the tvN STORY YouTube channel. The segment featured Lee alongside former baseball national team player Lee Jong-beom, with the two discussing the pressures faced by children of prominent athletes.

Lee Jong-beom revealed that his son Lee Jung-hoo, who now plays in Major League Baseball, became a baseball player despite his father's objections.

Lee Dong-gook said he felt the same way. His youngest son, Sian, is currently active as a youth soccer player and is nurturing his dream of becoming a professional footballer, following in his father's footsteps.

Lee Dong-gook said his opposition stemmed from the prejudice his son would inevitably face simply for being the child of a famous player.

"No matter how far he gets through his own hard work, people will always say things like 'it's in the DNA' or 'look who his father is,'" Lee said.

He added that his son "might be under a lot of stress from hearing things we never had to hear."

Lee Jong-beom said Jung-hoo had endured similar remarks on his account — comments such as "You get to play because your dad is Lee Jong-beom, not because you're actually good."

Lee Dong-gook recalled a specific incident involving Sian during a match. When Sian missed a penalty kick, people nearby remarked, "How can Lee Dong-gook's son miss that?" Lee said he was watching at the time and that Sian happened to overhear the comments, breaking down in tears.

Lee also said that when Sian commits a foul in a physical challenge, people react by saying, "Why does that kid have such bad character?" — and then add, "He's Lee Dong-gook's son, look at his attitude." He was pointing out how every mistake his son makes is held to a harsher standard and linked directly to his father's name.

Lee Jong-beom told him it would only get worse, saying Jung-hoo had gone through the same thing and that Sian would hear far more of it once he reaches middle and high school.

Lee Dong-gook said he felt "at a loss" when faced with Lee Jong-beom's warning that the scrutiny would intensify as public attention grows.

Meanwhile, Sian has recently drawn attention after being named to the South Korean youth roster for the global youth project "Nova Korea 12." The project organizers introduced him as a player from Yeonsu-gu, praising his finishing ability and combination play, and said they were eager to see how he would perform in Brazil.

Sian previously led his team to victory at the 2024 Chungju Apple Cup National Youth Soccer Festival and recently passed a tryout for the youth academy of LA Galaxy, a prominent Major League Soccer club.


betterj@heraldcorp.com