 After the World Cup he was recalled back to the team for a friendly match against Venezuela, where he scored a brace in a 3–1 victory, the national team's first win in nearly six months.In August 2017, Lee was called up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier games against Iran and Uzbekistan, being one of the oldest players on the squad.Lee married Lee Soo-jin, a runner up of Miss Korea 1997, in December 2005.