[goldenHuddlestone]

Fulham are hoping to sign South Korea international Lee Chun-Soo on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent transfer, according to reports in Korea.

The English club have contacted K-League side Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I regarding a potential 12-month contract for the 25-year-old midfielder, which would start on July 1.

Lee was on the verge of joining Fulham’s Barclays Premiership rivals Wigan in January and publicly blamed Ulsan after the deal fell through.

Reports in Korea, quoting Ulsan vice-president Kim Hyung-ryong, say Fulham want to loan Lee for a year with the possibility of a more permanent arrangement down the line.

Lee, who has made 70 international appearances, was part of the Korea side who reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and also scored his country’s first goal in the 2006 tournament in Germany with a trademark free-kick in the 2-1 win against Togo.

Following his exploits at the World Cup in 2002, Lee left Ulsan and joined Real Sociedad, becoming the first Korean player to play in Spain’s Primera Liga.

But he was sent on loan to Numancia following an unsuccessful season at the Estadio Anoeta before returning to Ulsan in 2005 and helping the Tigers win the league championship.

Lee scored a hat-trick in the first leg of the league finals and was subsequently named the K-League's Most Valuable Player, despite only joining Ulsan midway through the campaign.