Seoul: Ulsan HD FC forward Lee Dong-gyeong has been voted the MVP of the top South Korean football league in 2025.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee earned the top individual honor in the K League 1 at the annual awards ceremony held at Swiss Grand Hotel in Seoul, collecting 71 out of 134 votes from media, five out of 12 votes from K League 1 head coaches, and eight out of 12 votes from K League 1 club captains.
These totals amounted to 53.69 voting points, with Park Jin-seob of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors finishing in second place with 35.71 points, and Pablo Sabbag of Suwon FC placing third with 10.6 points. Coaches and captains were not permitted to vote for players within their own clubs.
Lee, who also received 10 million won (US$6,800) in prize money, marks the fourth consecutive Ulsan player to win the MVP award and a record eighth overall. Ulsan HD, after securing three consecutive titles from 2022 to 2024, finished ninth this year - the lowest placement for a club that produced an MVP winner. Notably, Lee is the first K League 1 MVP to come from a non-title-winning club since 2019 when then Ulsan midfielder Kim Bo-kyung was honored.
Lee began the season with Gimcheon Sangmu FC as he fulfilled his mandatory military service, scoring 13 goals and providing 11 assists in 34 matches. Following his discharge in October, he returned to Ulsan and contributed an assist in two matches before missing the final two games due to a broken rib. Overall, Lee led the K League 1 with 25 goal contributions, 115 shot attempts, and 71 key passes.
"Ever since I started playing football, I've always wanted to reach great heights," Lee expressed upon receiving his MVP trophy. "I am grateful for this award. I will take a moment to collect myself and then resume my journey toward even greater things humbly and diligently."
Lee also hinted at aspirations beyond the K League, stating, "It obviously includes trying to challenge myself in a bigger league, and I also want to keep working hard to become a more mature person."
Reflecting on his career, Lee mentioned his challenging stint in Germany, playing for Schalke 04 and Hansa Rostock on loan from 2022 to 2023, where he appeared in only 13 matches and did not score. "That experience helped my career so much," Lee reflected. "Not getting into matches while playing overseas allowed me to grow as a man. I started caring more about foreign players on my team."
With 16 caps for the national team, Lee now aims to make the World Cup squad next summer. "It's a dream and a goal for every football player," he stated. "I have to be meticulous in how I prepare myself."
In other awards, Jeonbuk head coach Gus Poyet was voted Coach of the Year after leading his team to a K League-record 10th title in his first season in South Korea, turning around a near-relegation from the previous year. Poyet secured 75.63 points, greatly surpassing Daejeon Hana Citizen FC coach Hwang Sun-hong, who earned 15.19 points.
Gangwon FC midfielder Lee Seung-won claimed the Young Player of the Year award, amassing 66.87 points, becoming the second consecutive Gangwon player to win the accolade after current Portsmouth attacker Yang Min-hyeok.