The Koreans laboured to a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan on Friday and were keen to go into 2018 World Cup qualifiers with victory over New Zealand who were unbeaten in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup but have tumbled to 134th in the FIFA rankings.
Son Heung-min had a first-half penalty saved by New Zealand goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic who pulled off a string of top quality stops to deny the hosts.
Jeonbuk forward Lee, who made his debut against the Uzbeks, got the breakthrough four minutes from time when he pounced on a loose ball to score after Marinovic had saved from Kim Bo-kyung.
The players rushed to the sidelines to celebrate with Cha who announced his retirement from the national team after Korea's defeat by Australia in the Asian Cup final but was asked to play one more game for the home fans to show their appreciation.
Cha, a member of Guus Hiddink's squad that reached the 2002 World Cup semi-finals, captained the side and gave a typically robust performance before being substituted in the 43rd minute.
The Korea Football Association held a ceremony at halftime to mark his 14-year career, with his father, former Bundesliga great Cha Bum-kun, presenting the defender with a bouquet of flowers.
"I was never a great player but I always tried my best and I'm happy that you appreciated me for that," Cha told the 33,000-plus crowd.
Cha, who will continue his club career with FC Seoul, said it had been his goal to try to outdo his famous father.
"I really believed that I could be better but there came a time when reality hit me and from then on I decided I should just try to enjoy football and be happy," he added.
(Writing by Peter Rutherford, editing by Tony Jimenez)
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