"Lion King" Lee Dong-guk was crowned 2009 K-League Most Valuable Player at the annual league awards ceremony at the Seoul Grand Hilton hotel, capping off a fantastic year for the 30 year-old and coming almost exactly a year after he faced an uncertain future after being deemed surplus to requirements at his previous club.
Forward Lee, who returned to Korea in mid-2008 after a disappointing spell in England with Middlesbrough, spent just five months with Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma before incoming manager Shin Tae-yong announced the national team forward didn't figure in his rebuilding plans for the new season. Traded to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors along with Kim Sang-shik, Lee shone under the guidance of Motors boss Choi Kang-hee and ended the 2009 season at the top of the K-League scoring charts with 20 goals, six more than second-placed Dejan Damjanovic.
Lee's manager Choi collected the Manager of the Year award, whilst former Ulsan Mipo Dockyard forward Kim Young-hu collected the Rookie of the Year award after his great K-League debut season with Gangwon that saw him finish third in the goalscoring charts.
The full list of awards from the ceremony are as follows:
Most Valuable Player: Lee Dong-guk (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
Best New Player: Kim Young-hu (Gangwon FC)
Best Manager: Choi Kang-hee (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
Special Awards: Kim Byung-ji (Gyeongnam FC), Kim Young-kwang (Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i)
Achievement Award: Pohang Steelers
Best Match Officials: Choi Kwang-bo (referee), Won Chang-ho (assistant)
Fair Play Award: Gangwon FC
Best Team: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Viva K-League Best Goal: Kim Dong-chan (Gyeongnam FC)
Football Fans' Best Player: Lee Dong-guk (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
Best Youth Club: Chunnam Dragons
2009 K-League Bext XI
GK Shin Hwa-yong (Pohang Steelers)
DF Kim Sang-shik (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
DF Choi Hyo-jin (Pohang Steelers)
DF Kim Hyung-il (Pohang Steelers)
DF Hwang Jae-won (Pohang Steelers)
MF Choi Tae-wook (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
MF Enio Oliveira Junior (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
MF Kim Jung-woo (Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma)
MF Ki Sung-yong (FC Seoul)
FW Lee Dong-guk (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
FW Denilson Martins Nascimento (Pohang Steelers)
