Lee Hyun-ju (footballer)

Lee Hyun-ju
Hangul	이현주
Revised Romanization	Lee Hyeonju
McCune–Reischauer	Lee Hyŏnchu

Lee Hyun-ju
Personal information
Date of birth	7 February 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth	Ansan, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Hannover 96; (on loan from Bayern Munich II)
Number	11
Youth career
2012–2015	Tree Mers
2016–2021	Pohang Steelers
Senior career*
Years	Team
2022	Pohang Steelers
2022	→ Bayern Munich II (loan)
2022–	Bayern Munich II
2023–2024	→ Wehen Wiesbaden (loan)
2024–	→ Hannover 96 (loan)
International career‡
2017	South Korea U14
2018–2019	South Korea U17
2022–	South Korea U23
2024–	South Korea
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 January 2025; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 November 2024

Lee Hyun-ju (Korean: 이현주; born 7 February 2003) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for 2. Bundesliga club Hannover 96, on loan from Bayern Munich II. He also plays for the South Korea national team.

Club career

Early career

Lee started his career with Tree Mers FC in Ansan, before moving to Pohang to join the Pohang Steelers.^[2]

Bayern Munich

In January 2022, Lee joined German giants Bayern Munich from Pohang Steelers on a year-long loan deal, with the option to make the deal permanent.^[3] After impressing with the club's reserve team while on loan, Bayern Munich took up the option to make the deal permanent in August 2022, with Lee signing a deal through 2025.^[4]^[5]

Loan to Wehen Wiesbaden

On 7 July 2023, he was loaned to recently promoted 2. Bundesliga club Wehen Wiesbaden for the 2023–24 season.^[6]

Loan to Hannover 96

On 23 June 2024, he extended his contract with Bayern Munich until 2027 and was loaned to 2. Bundesliga club Hannover 96 for the 2024–25 season, with an option to make the move permanent.^[7]

International career

Lee has represented South Korea at various youth levels.^[1]^[2]^[8] He was called up to the South Korea Olympic team in September 2022, in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[9]

Lee received his first call-up with the South Korea national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Kuwait and Palestine on 14 and 19 November 2024, respectively.^[10]^[11] He made his debut against Kuwait.^[12]

Personal life

Lee has named Joshua Kimmich as a player he idolises, while also crediting Jamal Musiala as a similarly-aged player he looks up to.^[3]^[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of matches played 18 January 2025^[14]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Pohang Steelers	2022	K League 1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bayern Munich II (loan)	2021–22	Regionalliga Bayern	6	1	—		—		6	1
	2022–23	Regionalliga Bayern	2	2	—		—		2	2
	Total		8	3	—		—		8	3
Bayern Munich II	2022–23	Regionalliga Bayern	18	7	—		—		18	7
Wehen Wiesbaden (loan)	2023–24	2. Bundesliga	28	4	1	0	2^[a]	0	31	4
Hannover 96 (loan)	2024–25	2. Bundesliga	14	3	0	0	—		14	3
Career total			68	17	1	0	2	0	71	17

Notes

^ Appearances in 2. Bundesliga relegation play-offs

International

As of match played 14 November 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
South Korea	2024	1	0
Total		1	0

Notes

^ Played for Pohang Jecheol Middle School [ko] from 2016 to 2018, and Pohang Jecheol High School [ko] from 2019 to 2021, which were academies of Pohang Steelers.

References

^ ^a ^b Lee Hyun-ju at WorldFootball.net
^ ^a ^b [인터뷰] 첫 주장완장 달고 세계무대에 첫발 내딛는 이현주의 각오 [[Interview] Lee Hyun-ju's determination to take the first step on the world stage with the first captain's armband]. Naver (in Korean). KFA. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b "FC Bayern holt Lee von den Pohang Steelers" [FC Bayern sign Lee from the Pohang Steelers] (in German). kicker. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ "Der FC Bayern zieht die kaufoption bei youngster Hyun-ju Lee" [FC Bayern pulls the option to buy from youngster Hyun-ju Lee] (in German). OneFootball. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ Mayer, Patrick (11 August 2022). "Keine Pause für Salihamidzic: FC Bayern holt nächstes Top-Talent - er spielte bereits für München" [No break for Salihamidzic: FC Bayern gets the next top talent - he has already played for Munich] (in German). TZ. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ "SVWW leiht Hyunju Lee vom FC Bayern München II aus" (in German). SV Wehen Wiesbaden. 7 July 2023.
^ "Viel Erfolg in Niedersachsen, Hyunju!". X (in German). FC Bayern Campus. 23 June 2024.
^ 19세 이현주, 바이에른 뮌헨 완전 이적 [19-year-old Hyun-joo Lee transfers to Bayern Munich]. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 10 August 2022.
^ 바이에른 뮌헨 이현주, 파리 준비하는 올림픽 대표팀 발탁 [Bayern Munich's Lee Hyun-joo selected for Paris Olympic team]. No Cut News (in Korean). 13 September 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ 남자 A대표팀, 11월 월드컵 3차 예선 소집명단 발표 [Men's national team A announces call-up list for September World Cup 3rd qualifying round] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
^ 선수 명단 [Squad List] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
^ "Kuwait v South Korea game report". ESPN. 15 November 2024.
^ "Hyunju Lee: "Ich schaue zu Kimmich und Musiala auf"" [Hyunju Lee: "I look up to Kimmich and Musiala"] (in German). FC Bayern Munich. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ Lee Hyun-ju at Soccerway

External links

Lee Hyun-ju at KFA (in Korean)

[16] Appearances in 2. Bundesliga relegation play-offs

[2] Played for Pohang Jecheol Middle School [ko] from 2016 to 2018, and Pohang Jecheol High School [ko] from 2019 to 2021, which were academies of Pohang Steelers.

[wf-1] Lee Hyun-ju at WorldFootball.net

[naver-3] [인터뷰] 첫 주장완장 달고 세계무대에 첫발 내딛는 이현주의 각오 [[Interview] Lee Hyun-ju's determination to take the first step on the world stage with the first captain's armband]. Naver (in Korean). KFA. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[kicker-4] "FC Bayern holt Lee von den Pohang Steelers" [FC Bayern sign Lee from the Pohang Steelers] (in German). kicker. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[5] "Der FC Bayern zieht die kaufoption bei youngster Hyun-ju Lee" [FC Bayern pulls the option to buy from youngster Hyun-ju Lee] (in German). OneFootball. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[6] Mayer, Patrick (11 August 2022). "Keine Pause für Salihamidzic: FC Bayern holt nächstes Top-Talent - er spielte bereits für München" [No break for Salihamidzic: FC Bayern gets the next top talent - he has already played for Munich] (in German). TZ. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[7] "SVWW leiht Hyunju Lee vom FC Bayern München II aus" (in German). SV Wehen Wiesbaden. 7 July 2023.

[8] "Viel Erfolg in Niedersachsen, Hyunju!". X (in German). FC Bayern Campus. 23 June 2024.

[9] 19세 이현주, 바이에른 뮌헨 완전 이적 [19-year-old Hyun-joo Lee transfers to Bayern Munich]. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 10 August 2022.

[10] 바이에른 뮌헨 이현주, 파리 준비하는 올림픽 대표팀 발탁 [Bayern Munich's Lee Hyun-joo selected for Paris Olympic team]. No Cut News (in Korean). 13 September 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[11] 남자 A대표팀, 11월 월드컵 3차 예선 소집명단 발표 [Men's national team A announces call-up list for September World Cup 3rd qualifying round] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. Retrieved 4 November 2024.

[12] 선수 명단 [Squad List] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. Retrieved 4 November 2024.

[13] "Kuwait v South Korea game report". ESPN. 15 November 2024.

[14] "Hyunju Lee: "Ich schaue zu Kimmich und Musiala auf"" [Hyunju Lee: "I look up to Kimmich and Musiala"] (in German). FC Bayern Munich. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[15] Lee Hyun-ju at Soccerway

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