After graduating from Jemulpo High School in Incheon, Lee entered Kyungsung University in Busan.

In August 2005, Lee was first called up to the South Korea national baseball team as an amateur player and participated in the Baseball World Cup held in the Netherlands where Team Korea eventually won the silver medal.

After graduation from college, Lee went undrafted in the 2008 KBO Entry Draft and signed as an original free agent with the Samsung Lions.

Lee joined the two-year military service after the 2009 season and was discharged in September 2011.

In the tourney, he batted .289 with 13 hits including a solo home run off of Eliecer Navarro of Panama appearing in all 12 games as a fixture at first base for Team Korea.