Lee Dong-Gook earns recall to South Korea national football team

Veteran South Korea striker Lee Dong-Gook has been recalled to the national squad for next month's home friendlies against Venezuela and Uruguay as he hopes to win his long-awaited 100th cap.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced a 22-man squad on Monday, bringing the 35-year-old Lee back into the fold after he shot to the top of the K-League scoring charts this season with 11 goals in 21 matches.
The Jeonbuk Motors forward, dubbed the "Lion King" by local fans and media, has been stuck on 99 caps since a 1-0 defeat by Iran in a World Cup qualifier in June last year.
He had been overlooked by previous coach Hong Myong-Bo, who stepped down after South Korea's disappointing first-round exit in Brazil.
Lee, who had brief spells in Europe with Werder Bremen and Middlesbrough, is also the K-League's all-time leader with 165 goals in 369 matches.
South Korea face Venezuela on September 5 and Uruguay on September 8.
Lee was also snubbed by Dutchman Guus Hiddink for the 2002 World Cup which South Korea co-hosted with Japan. South Korea famously went on to reach the semi-finals. He suffered further World Cup heartbreak in 2006 when a knee injury ruled him out of the finals.
South Korea are still without a permanent replacement for Hong after talks with Dutchman Bert van Marwijk broke down.
Source: AFP