CHUNG-Yong Lee visibly recoils when you mention the challenge which left him with an horrific double fracture of his lower right leg and a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Wanderers winger, speaking exclusively to The Bolton News from a hospital in South Korea after returning home to continue his rehabilitation, is surprisingly upbeat given he will not be back in action until January at the very earliest.

But then Lee originally thought he would not play again this season after Tim Miller’s ugly lunge left him crumpled in a heap in Bolton’s pre-season friendly at non-league Newport County in July.

Miller, despite apologising to the Wanderers camp, immediately became a villain on the other side of the world as hundreds of Korean football fans posted death threats to him via Facebook and Twitter.

But Lee is reluctant to discuss the incident.

“I don’t want to talk about it because I have very bad memories of it,” he said.

“I don’t want to even think about. It’s the past. I just want to focus on my recovery.

“He never apologised to me personally but I read the article on the website. It’s not important though. I forgive him.”

At this point in the interview, as if to emphasise Lee’s position of golden boy of Korean football, in swept Cho Kwang-Rae, the national manager, and his entourage to check on the progress of their prized asset.

Lee arrived home two weeks ago to continue his recovery under the supervision of the national team doctor Song Joon Sup.

He trains seven hours a day, six days a week at the state-of-the-art United Hospital complex, a towering skyscraper in central Seoul which specialises in sports injuries.

The 23-year-old, talking through an interpreter but clearly understanding more than he admits to, is obviously delighted to be back in his homeland.

“My leg is getting better but it definitely helps being back in Korea because it’s home,” he said. “Being here will speed up my recovery.

“My leg’s not painful any more but I’m a lot happier here. The system of recovery is no different to the UK but I’m just a lot more comfortable here. I’m still having English lessons and I understand what people say – just not everything – but it’s easier to communicate at home.

“I like the people of Bolton but sometimes I struggle to communicate with them, that’s why I like being in Korea because it’s easier to talk to people.

“I like Bolton too but I do miss my friends and family, and especially my mother’s cooking.

“But I will return to England in about two weeks and that will be for the season. I will come back stronger.”

Despite his representatives insisting he will be back playing in January, that seems unlikely and Lee, still on crutches, refuses to put a date on his return.

He said: “I don’t want to hurry. I want to be completely recovered. I want to play again but I must be 100 per cent right. That’s the most important thing.

“I don’t want to rush but I will play again this season. I want to be back as soon as possible.”

And, after a run of five straight Premier League defeats, Lee is confident Wanderers will turn things around in his absence.

He said: “I’ve been watching all the games and, even though we’ve been struggling, we will get better. The new players need time to settle in. We’ve had a lot of injuries but once players start coming back, especially Stuart Holden, results will improve.”