The year he turned 12, he played for Daedong Elementary School in Seoul at the Danone Nations Cup in South Africa and scored 12 of the team’s 16 goals. The year he turned 13, it was reported that he would join FC Barcelona’s youth team; in August he joined Infantil A, and in September he won the Canillas international youth tournament and was named tournament MVP.
The year he turned 14, he received a scholarship certificate from the Korea Football Association together with Paik Seung-ho and Jang Gyeol-hee. In December of the year he turned 15, it was reported that he had agreed a five-year extension with Barcelona.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 16, in September he scored two goals against Japan in the AFC U-16 Championship quarterfinal and was named the tournament’s top scorer and MVP. In April of that year FIFA banned Barcelona from signing players, and Lee Seung-woo had already been barred from FIFA tournaments.
The year he turned 17, Korea lost to Belgium in the round of 16 at the U-17 World Cup in Chile. In January of the year he turned 18, his ban ended, and in February he scored the winner in the UEFA Youth League round of 16.
The year he turned 19, he scored against Argentina at the U-20 World Cup, moved to Verona in August and made his Serie A debut in September.
The year he turned 20, he scored his first Serie A goal (May), made his senior national team debut (May), played in the World Cup in Russia (June) and won Asian Games gold (September).
In August of the year he turned 21, he moved to Sint-Truiden in Belgium. In September of the year he turned 22, he scored his first Belgian goal and two in the match. The year he turned 23, he was loaned to Portimonense, terminated his contract with Sint-Truiden in November and agreed to join Suwon FC in December.
The year he turned 24, he made his K League 1 debut for Suwon FC, scored his first goal in March and finished the season with 14 goals and 3 assists, fourth in scoring. The year he turned 25, he scored 10 league goals with 3 assists for Suwon FC.
In July of the year he turned 26, he moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and in October he played for the national team for the first time in 5 years 4 months. The year he turned 27, Jeonbuk won the K League 1 title for the first time in four years. Lee Seung-woo mostly came on as a substitute. In May of the year he turned 28, he was not included in the final squad for the North American World Cup.
Lee Seung-woo (born Jan 6, 1998) was reported to be joining FC Barcelona’s youth team in 2011, the year he turned 13, and became known for his two goals against Japan at the AFC U-16 Championship on Sep 14, 2014, the year he turned 16. He made his Serie A debut for Hellas Verona on Sep 24, 2017, the year he turned 19, and won Asian Games gold in 2018, the year he turned 20.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Played for Daedong Elementary School in Seoul at the tournament in South Africa. He scored 12 of the team’s 16 goals and won the top scorer award; 2010 was the first year Korea entered a team.
Source 01 · Best Eleven (Korean) · Joins Barcelona’s youth team · opens in a new tab The article does not give the month of the tournament.Reports said he would join La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy, as the second Korean after Paik Seung-ho. He also had offers from Real Madrid’s youth team and a Bundesliga club but chose Barcelona.
Source 02 · Sportal Korea (Korean) · Korea U-13 player joins Barça youth · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Best Eleven (Korean) · Joins Barcelona’s youth team · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Xports News (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo, we thought he would be Messi · opens in a new tab Sportal Korea reported it on Feb. 23 and Best Eleven on the 24th. The date of the signing is not given. In a 2026 article, Xports News wrote that he drew attention in 2011 when he joined Barcelona’s youth team.In August he joined Infantil A, the team for 13- and 14-year-olds, together with Jang Gyeol-hee.
Source 04 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Barcelona youth management system · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Sports World (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo, Paik Seung-ho and Jang Gyeol-hee · opens in a new tab The date he joined is not given in the articles.Barcelona beat Atlético Madrid 3-0 in the final in Madrid to win the tournament. Lee Seung-woo was named tournament MVP.
Source 03 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo and Jang Gyeol-hee at the center of Barça youth · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Sports World (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo, Paik Seung-ho and Jang Gyeol-hee · opens in a new tab The tournament ended in the early hours of the 19th Korea time, so the date is Korea time.The Korea Football Association presented scholarship certificates to players studying football in Spain, including Paik Seung-ho and Jang Gyeol-hee of Barcelona.
Source 05 · Sportal Korea (Korean) · KFA scholarship certificates · opens in a new tabOne outlet reported that he had agreed a five-year extension with Barcelona. Asia Economy wrote that he scored 38 goals with 18 assists for Infantil A in 2011-12.
Source 06 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Agrees to a five-year contract extension with Barcelona · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Sports World (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo, Paik Seung-ho and Jang Gyeol-hee · opens in a new tab The report said paperwork and signing remained, and the signing of the contract is not confirmed in news reports.The FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned Barcelona from signing players until summer 2015, citing a breach of the rules on transfers of players under 18. Lee Seung-woo had been barred from FIFA tournaments since February 2013 for the same reason.
Source 08 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Barcelona barred from signing players for a year · opens in a new tabIn the quarterfinal against Japan in Bangkok, Thailand, he scored the opener in the 41st minute and, in the 2nd minute of the second half, received the ball from before the halfway line and dribbled alone to the opposing goal for a second. Korea won 2-0 and reached the semifinals.
Korea lost the final 1-2 to North Korea and finished as runner-up. Lee Seung-woo was top scorer with 5 goals (4 assists) and was named the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP).
Source 40 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Top scorer and MVP, U-16 AFC Championship runner-up · opens in a new tabIn the round of 16 in Chile, Korea lost 0-2 to Belgium. He took a penalty kick in the 25th minute of the second half and the goalkeeper saved it, and he had no goal contributions at the tournament.
Source 09 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s first World Cup ends · opens in a new tab The time is Korea time.The ban ended when he turned 18 on Jan. 6. Spanish media reported that Barcelona planned to sign him to a formal professional contract and register him with Juvenil A.
Source 10 · Nocut News (Korean) · Suspension lifted, officially registered as a Barcelona player · opens in a new tabPlaying for Juvenil A against Midtjylland in the round of 16, he scored the winner in stoppage time of the second half with the score at 1-1. Barcelona won 3-1 and reached the quarterfinals.
Source 11 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s winner sends Juvenil A to the Youth League quarterfinals · opens in a new tab The time is Korea time.In the second group match in Jeonju he scored the opener in the 18th minute, and Korea won 2-1 to secure a place in the round of 16. It was his second straight match with a goal after the Guinea match.
Source 12 · Newsis (Korean) · U-20 World Cup against Argentina · opens in a new tabVerona officially announced that Lee Seung-woo, who had been playing for Barcelona’s Juvenil A, had signed a four-year contract. Foreign media expected a fee of 1.5 million euros.
Source 13 · OSEN (Korean) · Four-year contract with Hellas Verona · opens in a new tabIn round 6 he came on as a substitute in the 25th minute of the second half with Verona losing 0-3. He was the second Korean player to appear in Serie A after Ahn Jung-hwan.
Source 14 · STN Sports (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s debut for Verona · opens in a new tabIn round 36 away from home he scored with a right-footed shot in the 40th minute of the second half with Verona losing 0-3. It was the first Serie A goal by a Korean player in about 16 years and 3 months, since Ahn Jung-hwan, and Verona lost 1-4, confirming relegation to the second division.
Source 15 · SBS (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s first Serie A goal · opens in a new tabSource 37 · OSEN (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s first professional goal against Milan · opens in a new tabMade his senior national team debut in a friendly in Daegu. Korea won 2-0.
Source 16 · Interfootball (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min shine · opens in a new tabSource 17 · My Daily (Korean) · Fourth-youngest World Cup debut for a Korean player · opens in a new tabIn the first group match he replaced Koo Ja-cheol in the 27th minute of the second half with Korea trailing 0-1. My Daily wrote that at 20 years 163 days he was the fourth-youngest Korean player to appear in a World Cup.
Source 17 · My Daily (Korean) · Fourth-youngest World Cup debut for a Korean player · opens in a new tabIn the final against Japan he scored the winner in the 3rd minute of the first half of extra time, and Korea won 2-1. Newsis wrote that all the players, including Son Heung-min, would receive military service exemptions.
Source 18 · Newsis (Korean) · Korea beats Japan for back-to-back Asian Games golds · opens in a new tabSource 19 · Edaily (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo and Hwang Hee-chan score back-to-back goals · opens in a new tabHe scored a go-ahead goal with a bicycle kick in the 45th minute of the first half. It was his first goal in Italy in about seven months, and the match ended 2-2.
Source 20 · Sportal Korea (Korean) · Serie B round 18, Lee Seung-woo’s first goal of the season · opens in a new tabSint-Truiden of the Belgian first division officially announced his signing. He wears number 10 and the contract is for 2+1 years. Sports Seoul wrote that he was the first Korean player in Belgium in 15 years, since Seol Ki-hyeon.
Source 21 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo joins Sint-Truiden in Belgium · opens in a new tabIn the home match in round 5 of the Jupiler Pro League he scored less than a minute after kickoff and added another goal in the 23rd minute of the first half. It was his first club goal since Dec. 30, 2018, 623 days earlier.
Source 22 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s first Belgian goal, first multi-goal game in Europe · opens in a new tab The time is Korea time.Sint-Truiden announced that he would go on loan to Portimonense for the rest of the season. He had 2 goals in 13 league matches for Sint-Truiden that season.
Source 23 · Interfootball (Korean) · Loan to Portimonense · opens in a new tabSint-Truiden announced that it had agreed with Lee Seung-woo to terminate his contract. JoongAng Ilbo wrote that he played 17 matches and scored 2 goals after joining in August 2019.
Source 24 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo and Sint-Truiden part ways · opens in a new tabSuwon FC said it had finished the agreement and that only the announcement remained. Lee Seung-woo had not been selected for the senior national team since June 2019.
Source 25 · MBC (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo agrees to join Suwon FC · opens in a new tabIn round 6 of K League 1 at Suwon Stadium he scored his first goal in the first half, and Suwon FC won 4-3. The Korea Professional Football League named him the round 6 MVP.
Source 26 · Star News (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo’s first K League goal · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Newsis (Korean) · K League 1 round 6 MVP · opens in a new tabAfter the 2022 season he entered the Nonsan Army Training Center for three weeks of training. The training was part of the military service exemption he earned with the 2018 Asian Games gold medal. That season he had 14 goals and 3 assists, fourth in K League 1 scoring.
Source 28 · Nocut News (Korean) · Finishes military training, joins SBS commentary team · opens in a new tabScored 10 goals with 3 assists for Suwon FC. Together with 14 goals in 2022, that is double-digit goals in two straight seasons.
Source 29 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo, who left Suwon FC, aims for a first Jeonbuk goal · opens in a new tabSource 34 · Edaily (Korean) · An unfamiliar super-sub, Lee Seung-woo · opens in a new tab The articles do not give the date the season ended, so only the year is given.Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors officially announced the signing of Lee Seung-woo from Suwon FC. The contract runs four and a half years, and at the time of the move he had 10 goals that season, third in K League 1 scoring.
Source 30 · KBS (Korean) · Jeonbuk officially announces Lee Seung-woo · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo, who left Suwon FC, aims for a first Jeonbuk goal · opens in a new tabHe was called up on the 12th as a replacement for Hwang Hee-chan and Eom Ji-sung, who were hurt in the Jordan match. In the World Cup third-round qualifier against Iraq on the 15th he replaced Lee Jae-sung in the 42nd minute of the second half, and Korea won 3-2.
Source 31 · My Daily (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo back in the national team after five years · opens in a new tabSource 32 · OSEN (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo on the Iraq match after returning in five years · opens in a new tab His last call-up had been in June 2019.Jeonbuk beat Suwon FC 2-0 in round 33 to secure the title for the first time in four years and the club’s 10th overall. Lee Seung-woo mostly came on as a substitute, and Edaily wrote that he had 22 league matches, 3 goals and 1 assist that season.
Source 33 · FourFourTwo Korea (Korean) · Poyet’s leadership, Jeonbuk’s 10th title · opens in a new tabSource 34 · Edaily (Korean) · An unfamiliar super-sub, Lee Seung-woo · opens in a new tab The figures of 22 matches, 3 goals and 1 assist are from a Nov. 5 media day article, after the title was secured.Coach Hong Myung-bo announced the final 26-man squad for the North American World Cup, and Lee Seung-woo was not included.
Source 35 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Lee Seung-woo not in the World Cup squad · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2010–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Sports · South Korea
Jan 6, 1998 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1998: the year of the event minus 1998, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.