Prior to graduation, he was selected in the 2nd round (47th overall) of the 2005 KBO draft by the LG Twins, which was the second-highest pick as a high school catcher.
Although Lee was willing to play in the KBO without going to college, his mother opposed his decision strongly, and that conflict led him to give up baseball temporarily.
After sitting out the whole 2005 season, Lee eventually came back in 2006, deciding to play college baseball at Dongguk University.
Lee made his first appearance on the international stage when he was selected for the South Korea national baseball team that would play in the 2006 Intercontinental Cup.
After the 2010 season, Lee joined the Sangmu Baseball Team to do a two-year mandatory military service.