He started Team Korea's fourth game of the round robin phase against Cuba, but allowed six runs and seven hits in just three innings.
Upon graduation from Jangchung High School in 2007, Lee joined the Doosan Bears, selected in the first round of the 2007 KBO Draft.
Lee was added to the 26-man first team roster of the Bears in the start of 2008 season, and posted a solid 1.23 ERA with 12 strikeouts, allowing two earned runs in eight games in April.
On April 30, Lee earned his first professional win over the Kia Tigers, coming on relief and pitching 2.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
[1] On June 1, 2023, South Korea baseball began an investigation of Lee and two other WBC pitchers (Kwang-hyun Kim and Jeong Cheol-won) for violating behavioral codes.