How a Busan boy became kabaddi’s ‘Korean King’ and won the hearts of Indian fans
Published: 06 Mar. 2025, 17:27
Updated: 06 Mar. 2025, 17:44
![Lee Jang-kun blocks his opponent's attack during a Pro Kabaddi League game in India. [PRO KABADDI LEAGUE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/03/06/4b4c9a17-dee5-4a69-a02f-b03c449dbd28.jpg)
Lee Jang-kun blocks his opponent's attack during a Pro Kabaddi League game in India. [PRO KABADDI LEAGUE]
For most Koreans, kabaddi, a popular Indian sport, remains a mystery. But for Busan's Lee Jang-kun, his curiosity about the martial arts-style sport turned into him being dubbed the "Korean King" by kabaddi fans.
The 2024 Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season wrapped up in December, with the Haryana Steelers claiming their first-ever championship after defeating Lee’s team, the Patna Pirates, on Dec. 29 in Pune, India.
The 32-23 loss marked the end of Lee’s eighth PKL season and his second with the Patna Pirates following a four-year hiatus during Covid.
Despite his absence, Lee’s silver medal signaled a strong return to the league, and he maintains a lasting popularity with fans who have long referred to him as the “Korean King.”
So who is this unlikely Kabaddi star, and what is the sport that made him a local hero?
The sport behind the local legend
Kabaddi is a traditional contact sport from India. The objective is for a “raider” to enter the opposing side of the court, tag as many defenders as possible and return to his side — all without being tackled and while continuously chanting “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi” in a single breath.
The game is played on a 13 by 6-meter (42 by 20-foot) court. Raiders earn points for each opponent they tag, while defenders score by stopping the raider.
The sport’s commercial rise on television can be credited to Charu Sharma, director of the PKL, who noticed a spike in viewership for the sport during the 2006 Asian Games Kabaddi tournament.
Mashal Sports, led by Sharma, professionalized kabaddi, launching the PKL in 2014 on Indian broadcaster Star Sports. The league, which runs from July to December in a round-robin format leading to the final, is now India’s third most watched sports league after cricket and football.
Lee, who played 16 matches for the Pirates in 2019 and scored 63 points, was only fielded once in 2024, managing a single point.
From football dreams to kabaddi glory
The 32-year-old shared on JTBC’s "The Gentlemen’s League," a football variety show from JTBC, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, that he grew up in Busan dreaming of becoming a professional footballer. However, financial struggles forced him to abandon that goal, as his family’s resources went toward his father’s kidney treatments.
He was introduced to kabaddi at 18 while at Dong-eui University and quickly fell in love with the sport’s martial arts-style training. His natural talent made him a standout prospect for the Korean national team.
Korea made history by winning its first-ever international kabaddi medal at the 2013 Indoor Asian Games. Lee later admitted to Yonhap that he initially knew little about the sport or the quality of competition but played with confidence.
Besides the Indian players, Lee believed he was the best, adding that interest in him from Indian players confirmed his belief.
![Korea, in white, competes against Iran in the men’s kabaddi final at the 2018 Asian Games. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/03/06/a907d3e5-9638-4fb6-8e46-536e50e50021.jpg)
Korea, in white, competes against Iran in the men’s kabaddi final at the 2018 Asian Games. [YONHAP]
His rapid rise led to a PKL contract with the Bengal Warriors in 2014, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey into one of South Asia’s oldest sports.
Lee also played a crucial role for the Korean national team, leading them to a bronze medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad, India, was another milestone for Korea. The team stunned the hosts by defeating India in the opening match and repeated the feat at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. That loss was India’s first-ever kabaddi defeat at the Asian Games.
Korea ultimately won silver, finishing behind Iran, while India settled for bronze.
After six seasons with the Bengal Warriors, Lee moved to the Patna Pirates in 2019. However, his kabaddi career was put on hold when Covid-19 shut down the league.
Lee’s pandemic pivot
The 2020 PKL season was suspended due to the pandemic, and when it resumed in 2021, strict health protocols required players, coaches and staff to isolate in controlled environments with regular testing, restricted movement and no spectators.
Despite being a key player, Lee chose not to return during this period. He explained to Sportstar that he was reluctant to travel to India amid the ongoing health crisis and its accompanying restrictions.
With his primary source of income on hold, Lee explored other ways to support himself and his family. He worked as a gym trainer and bodyguard while also making TV appearances, including on Netflix’s “Physical 100” and “The Gentlemen’s League.”
Though kabaddi was unfamiliar to most of his fellow contestants and judges, Lee used these platforms to promote the sport.
“People here got to know about me and kabaddi at the same time. I want to be a pioneer for the game in Korea,” he said on “The Gentlemen’s League.”
“Kabaddi here [in Korea] is an unpopular event. When the team participated in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, we didn’t receive any support. We didn’t even have competition kits.”
That stands in stark contrast to his experience in India, where he told Yonhap that he needs security when going out because fans overwhelm him.
During his hiatus, Lee missed the Asian Kabaddi Championships in Busan and the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Fans flooded his social media with messages during his absence. He told the Indian Express that he received countless direct messages saying, “Missing you, Jang-kun Lee,” “Please come back” and “I love you, Lee.”
A long-awaited return
In August 2024, Lee was re-signed by the Patna Pirates for 1.75 million Indian rupees ($20,000) at the PKL Auction, marking his return to India after four years.
![Lee Jang-kun poses with his silver medal on his personal Instagram account after his Professional Kabaddi League team, the Patna Pirates, won silver in the PKL final on Dec. 29 in Pune, India. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/03/06/ef3dfbf9-823d-42f4-9b03-5005d27c8617.jpg)
Lee Jang-kun poses with his silver medal on his personal Instagram account after his Professional Kabaddi League team, the Patna Pirates, won silver in the PKL final on Dec. 29 in Pune, India. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
He had a message for his supporters: “Long time no see, fans. Sorry. Very late. But I am back. Cheer for me!”
His return, however, was brief. He played just one game in the 2024 season, but his impact remained strong.
After winning silver with the Patna Pirates, he took to Instagram, posing with his medal and writing, “All I got this season was a strong mentality and a medal. This season motivated me even more and I will definitely play next season. #PKL.”
BY ELSIE WILLIAMS [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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