The South Korea international had proved his pedigree with some stellar work in the Champions League for PSV Eindhoven and at the 2002 World Cup, yet there were suspicions in some quarters that there was a commercial element to the Reds buying one of Asia's up-and-coming stars.
The summer tour of the eastern part of that continent perhaps supported the idea enough to prompt a question to the new £4 million signing about rivalling Real Madrid's David Beckham for shirt sales.
"Maybe if I were as handsome as David Beckham is, I would get mobbed like he does, every time I went out," he joked.