SOUTH KOREA’S dream of going to the Rugby World Cup was dashed by Hong Kong in the Asia Rugby Championship final, but the nation will still have a representative.
Kobe Steelers and Japan fly-half Seungsin Lee, 22, is ethnically Korean and became the first player to star for the Brave Blossoms having attended a Korean school when he made his debut against Uruguay in June 2022.
Lee’s grandfather, Yeongchul Kim, brought the family over to start a new life, presumably never envisaging that his grandson would represent their adopted nation on the rugby field.
And while Lee is adamant his future lies with Jamie Joseph’s side, having idolised legendary Japanese wing Hirotoki Onozawa as a youngster, he is more than happy to do his bit for the game he loves in Korea, who are ranked 30th by World Rugby.
“I have never thought about playing in Korea or for Korea because I picked up the oval ball here in Japan,” explains Lee, who represents the Land of the Rising Sun alongside the South Korea-born prop Ji-won Koo.
