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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sounders sign South Korean defender Kim Kee-hee

In this Oct. 6, 2016 file photo, South Korea’s Kim Kee-hee, right, duels for the ball with Qatar’s Sebastian Soria during World Cup qualifying soccer match in Suwon, South Korea. (Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – The Seattle Sounders have signed South Korean defender Kim Kee-hee.

Seattle announced the signing on Tuesday, two days before its decisive Champions League second leg against Santa Tecla in Seattle and five days before its MLS opener.

Kim comes to the Sounders after spending the past two seasons with Shanghai Shenua of the Chinese Super League. The 28-year-old center back was acquired via targeted allocation money, the fifth Seattle player to be acquired using TAM.

Kim started all 45 of his appearances in his two years with Shanghai Shenua. He previously played in the K League 1, the top division in South Korea, before his move to China.

Kim also has international experience for the South Korea national team. Kim has made 23 appearances for South Korea, including six during World Cup qualifying.

Opening day for MLS is Saturday, and Seattle begins its season on Sunday against expansion Los Angeles FC.