Lee Kang-hee
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 August 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Gongju, South Korea | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Austria Wien | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Yugu Elementary School | ||
| 2013 | Dangjin Gyeseong Elementary School | ||
| 2014–2016 | Shinpyeong Middle School | ||
| 2017–2019 | Shinpyeong High School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Busan IPark (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Gyeongnam FC | 80 | (2) |
| 2025– | Austria Wien | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | South Korea U20 | 1 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | South Korea U23 | 8 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 April 2024 | |||
Lee Kang-hee (Korean: 이강희; born 24 August 2001) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Austria Wien.
Early life
Lee was born on 24 August 2001 in Gongju, South Korea. Growing up, he attended Yugu Elementary School in South Korea before attending Dangjin Gyeseong Elementary School in South Korea. Afterwards, he attended Shinpyeong Middle School in South Korea and Shinpyeong High School in South Korea.[1]
Club career
Lee started his career with South Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2020, where he made zero league appearances and scored zero goals. In 2022, he was sent on loan to South Korean side Busan IPark, where he made eighteen league appearances and scored zero goals.
Following his stint there, he signed for South Korean side Gyeongnam FC, where he was vice-captain of the club[2] and made eighty-two league appearances and scored two goals. Ahead of the 2025–26 season, he signed for Austrian side Austria Wien.[3]
International career
Lee is a South Korea youth international. During April 2024, he played for the South Korea national under-23 football team at the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
Style of play
Lee plays as a midfielder and is right-footed. South Korean news website Goal wrote in 2025 that his "strength, which allows him to play as a holding midfielder, center back, and even a striker, is his solid physique. With a height of 191cm, he is excellent at ball competition and controlling the ball. His active and smart defense is also considered his strength, and he has a wide field of vision and stable passing ability".[1]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 17 August 2025[3]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2021 | K League 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Busan IPark (loan) | 2022 | K League 2 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| Gyeongnam FC | 2023 | K League 2 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2024 | K League 2 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2025 | K League 2 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
| Total | 80 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 83 | 2 | |||
| Austria Wien | 2025–26 | Austrian Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Career total | 101 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 112 | 2 | ||
- ^ Includes Korean FA Cup, Austrian Cup
- ^ Appearances in K League promotion-relegation play-offs
- ^ Appearance in UEFA Conference League
References
- ^ a b "'K리그→유럽 무대 직행' 이강희, 아우스트리아 빈 이적... "빠르게 적응해 기회 얻고 높은 수준에서 경쟁할 수 있도록 하겠다"" [K-League → Direct to European Stage’ Lee Kang-hee, Transfer to Austria Vienna... "I will adapt quickly, get opportunities, and compete at a high level"] (in Korean). Goal. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ^ "'위기 봉착' 경남FC, 새 외국인 영입 효과 볼 수 있을까" [Gyeongnam FC, in 'crisis', will it be able to see the effects of recruiting new foreigners?] (in Korean). OhmyNews. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ^ a b Lee Kang-hee at Soccerway