Kim Yeon-koung warns of retirement unless dispute is resolved

Kim Yeon-koung, the flagship player in the Korean female volleyball team who is in conflict with Heungkuk Life Insurance, has presented a tough bargaining chip.

Kim held a press conference at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul Monday, where she said, “If I don’t receive specific answers to my appeals to the Korea Volleyball Association and the Korea Volleyball Federation, I will not only end my career in the domestic professional league but also retire from the national team.”

Kim, who is playing overseas after serving Heungkuk in Korea, has been in conflict with the insurance company over her free agent conditions. Kim played four seasons with Heungkuk and two seasons as a hired player in Japan. She also played two seasons in Turkey afterwards as well. Heungkuk claims that in order for Kim to win the right as free agent, she should play six seasons with the company in line with related regulations, but that she has failed to do so. Meanwhile, Kim claims that the two seasons she played as player for hire in Japan should be included in the six seasons.

Kim made three major demands for Heungkuk, KVA and KOVO: to inquire anew to the International Volleyball Federation (FIVA) whether she has a team she originally belongs to; answer her request for issuance of an agreement of consent on her international transfer that she submitted; and answer her appeal against the July 2 public disclosure of her as a player who randomly bolted her team.

FIVA made authoritative interpretation in September last year that Kim is affiliated with Heungkuk Life Insurance. But Kim is denying the interpretation.

Meanwhile, appearing at the press conference accompanied by her agent and lawyer, Kim read a prepared statement and left the site without taking questions from reporters. As long as she is labeled as a player who randomly bolted her team, she cannot play for another team in Korea and elsewhere. She has no way to move to a foreign country either unless she receives a letter of consent on her international transfer.