 Nicknamed "Sirius" and dubbed "Kwanquelme" by his fans, Lee began his professional football career in the K-League by joining the community based club, Daejeon Citizen in 2000.During his stay in Daejeon, he established himself as a fan favorite with his accurate passes and long shots.In addition, his record of 22 goals and 18 assists made him an icon amongst the Purple Crew; however, on July 2006, he left Daejeon and joined its rival club, Suwon Samsung Bluewings.