Lee Dong-gook's son 'Daebak' selected for youth project, heading to Brazil

Lee Si-an, 11, the son of former national team footballer Lee Dong-gook, 47, has been recognized for his soccer talent and selected for a youth football project.

Nova Korea 12, a global youth football project jointly run by Punkbizm and the Ansan City Football Association, announced Thursday through its official Instagram account that Si-an had been named one of the final 12 players in the sixth-grade division.

Si-an is widely known by his nickname "Daebak," which was also his prenatal name, from his appearances on the KBS2 variety program "Superman Returns" from 2015 to 2019.

The project introduced him as "Lee Si-an of Yeonsu-gu Office," adding, "He is a player with excellent finishing ability and strong combination play. We look forward to seeing whether he can make his mark in Brazil."

The project selects a final Korean youth representative squad through a multi-stage process open to young players from across the country. Those chosen will have the opportunity to train and exchange with youth teams from top football nations including Brazil, Portugal and England.

Si-an previously led his team to victory at the 2024 Chungju Apple Cup National Youth Football Festival and recently passed the tryout for the youth academy of LA Galaxy, the Major League Soccer club.

Lee Dong-gook married Lee Su-jin in 2005 and has four daughters and one son; Si-an is the youngest of the five.