Lee Seung-woo Admits Tempo Gap Between K League and ACLE in Interview After Johor Match…Jeonbuk Win 2-0

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors beat Johor 2-0 in the ACLE on November 3. Lee Seung-woo, who came on as a second-half substitute, acknowledged the tempo gap after the match, saying, "It is not just a problem for the players."

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-line summary

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 2-0 against Johor in the ACLE league-stage match played in Jeonju on November 3.
After the match, Lee Seung-woo acknowledged the tempo gap between the K League and the ACLE, saying, "It is not just a problem for the players."
Lee Seung-woo's actual take-home salary for the 2025 season was 1.59 billion won, the highest among domestic players in K League 1 and 2.

1.59 billion won. That is Lee Seung-woo's actual take-home salary for the 2025 season, as tallied by the Korea Professional Football League. It was the highest figure among domestic players in K League 1 and 2. On November 3, after playing on the Asian stage, the word that player reached for was "tempo." He also added that the cause of the gap does not lie with the players alone.

Jeonbuk vs. Johor 2-0, from the 22nd minute of the first half through stoppage time

The match kicked off at 7 p.m. on November 3 in Jeonju. It was the 2026-27 ACLE league-stage match against Johor. The deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute of the first half. According to follow-up AFC reporting, Mota scored the opening goal, and in first-half stoppage time Italo converted a penalty kick. The shape of the result was set before halftime.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the match as Jeonbuk's second win in this competition. The score did not change after the break. Lee Seung-woo came on as a second-half substitute. Both goals had come in the first half, so when he entered, the team was already 2-0 up, and though his appearance was brief, the words he left after the match carried considerable weight.

Lee Seung-woo Interview: One Remark Acknowledging the Tempo Gap Between K League and ACLE

The remarks came on November 3, the day of the match. According to Goal.com, which reported them the following day, Lee Seung-woo said, "There is a clear difference in tempo. It is not a problem only for the players," he said. The player himself acknowledged the gap in game speed between the K League and the ACLE. Coming from a striker who has played in four European countries as well as in the domestic league, his perception carries weight.

The emphasis lies in the sentence that follows. Goal.com reported that while acknowledging the gap, he also pointed to complex factors such as the environment and systems. One passage deserves attention: reading 'it is not only the players' problem' as 'the players have no problem' changes the meaning. He was not denying the players' share; the point is that the players alone cannot explain it.

Lee Seung-woo's 1.59 billion won salary: from Barcelona youth to the top domestic earner

Lee Seung-woo was born on January 6, 1998, and is 28 this year. He joined Barcelona's youth team in 2011, rising to Barcelona B, before leaving for Verona in Italy in 2017. In 2019 he moved to Sint-Truiden in Belgium, and in 2021 he spent a loan period at Portimonense in Portugal. According to Newspim, his K League career began with Suwon FC in the 2022 season.

His record with Suwon FC is 88 K League 1 matches, 34 goals, and 8 assists. SBSreported this record shortly before his 2024 transfer to Jeonbuk. He put on the Jeonbuk shirt in July 2024. He then won the 2025 K League 1 and Korea Cup titles, and the 2026 K League Super Cup. His résumé also includes a gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

Korea Professional Football Leagueannounced in its December 30, 2025 tally that Lee Seung-woo's actual take-home salary for the 2025 season was 1.59 billion won. The figure is base salary plus appearance, win, and attacking-point bonuses and other incentives. It is 110 million won ahead of second-place Kim Young-gwon (1.48 billion won). The ranking covers domestic players only, so it does not make him the top earner overall, including foreign players. It is also a different figure from his 2026 salary.

Top 5 domestic players by actual take-home salary in K League 1 and 2, 2025 season

Rank	Player	2025 Club	Actual Take-Home Pay	Gap from 1st
1	Lee Seung-woo	Jeonbuk	1.59 billion won	—
2	Kim Young-gwon	Ulsan	1.48 billion won	110 million won
3	Jo Hyeon-woo	Ulsan	1.46 billion won	130 million won
4	Park Jin-seop	Jeonbuk	1.23 billion won	360 million won
5	Ju Min-kyu	Daejeon	1.12 billion won	470 million won

Source: Korea Professional Football League (announced 2025.12.30). "Gap from 1st" is each player's amount subtracted from Lee Seung-woo's amount.

The tempo gap is ultimately Lee Seung-woo's own assessment. No official data comparing actual playing time, pass speed, or pressing intensity was found. This interview is therefore closer to raising a question than to reaching a conclusion. The key point is that he spoke of the gap even after winning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How old is Lee Seung-woo?

Lee Seung-woo was born on January 6, 1998, and is 28 years old as of November 2026. He is a South Korean national and a forward currently playing for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Q. How much is Lee Seung-woo's salary?

According to the Korea Professional Football League's announcement on December 30, 2025, his 2025 season actual take-home salary was 1.59 billion won. He ranked first among domestic players in K League 1 and 2. This figure is the actual 2025 season pay including bonuses; it is not his 2026 salary or total contract value.

Q. What was the result of the Jeonbuk vs. Johor match?

Jeonbuk beat Johor 2-0 in the 2026-27 ACLE league-stage match played in Jeonju on November 3. Mota scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute of the first half, and Italo converted a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time. The AFC confirmed the match as Jeonbuk's second win in this competition.

Related Official Sites

K League official player record for Lee Seung-woo — Check Lee Seung-woo's season-by-season K League appearance and goal records
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors official website — Club schedule and match news
AFC Champions League Elite official website — ACLE match results and competition schedule
K League official website — League schedule, standings, and league announcements

Representative image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo from the current match described in the article · Photo composite · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Haena96), CC0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Haena96), CC0