PSG don special Korea jersey for league match

PSG's Lee Kang-in (R) and goalkeeper Arnau Tenas, in jerseys with South Korean printing, celebrate after their 2-0 victory against Le Harve in Ligue I on Dec. 3, 2023. Photo by Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq

When people think of PSG, they often think of Kylian Mbappe as the club’s biggest star. But the number in jersey sales might say otherwise. Spanish newspaper Diario AS reported that Lee Kang-in’s jersey is outselling Mbappe’s.

According to PSG’s website, South Korean fans living in Paris often visit the stadium in droves to purchase Lee's jersey. Thanks to them, the attendance at Pard des Princes Stadium has increased by 20% this season.

To show appreciation to these fans as well as to recognize Lee’s influence, PSG decided to use jerseys with the names of players printed in South Korean during their 2-0 win against Le Harve in Ligue I on Sunday.

Lee, 22, is one of the biggest talents in South Korean football history. He joined the youth academy of Spanish club Valencia when he was 10 and stayed there until 2021. After two impressive seasons on loan at Mallorca, he joined PSG for $24 million.

In 2019, Lee helped South Korea finish second at the U20 World Cup, before winning the gold medal at the Asian Games this year.

The game between PSG and Le Havre took place at 1 p.m. in Paris, which is 9 p.m. in Seoul. PSG don’t often play at such an early time, but did so for the benefit of fans in South Korea.

PSG's managing director in Asia-Pacific is Sebastien Wasels. He told Diario AS that Lee is the first famous Asian player to play for PSG. They want to take advantage of this opportunity to promote the team on the Asian market. South Korea have also become PSG's second largest market, after France.