Upon graduation from Hanyang University in 1982, Lee made an agreement with the Korea Baseball Organization to play for one of the new pro league's teams instead of remaining in the amateur league. Prior to the inaugural Korean professional baseball season, Lee was finally signed by the Samsung Lions. In the first game of the KBO pro league on March 27, 1982, Lee hit the first home run in Korean professional baseball history against the MBC Chungyong. Lee was a regular catcher of the Lions during the 1982 season and helped his team to reach to the inaugural Korean Series, where the Lions lost to the OB Bears, 4–1–1.