Kim Yeon-koung extends contract with Heungkuk Life

Kim Yeon-koung, South Korea’s volleyball queen, decided to remain with Heungkuk Life. The team announced on Sunday that it signed a contract with Kim for one year with total compensation of 775 million won (475 million won of yearly salary plus conditional payment of 300 million won). Seven hundred seventy-five million won is the upper limit for the 2023-2024 season of South Korea’s professional female volleyball.

Kim, who became a free agent after the 2022-2023 season, considered transferring to a different team with comprehensive capabilities to win but decided to stay with her previous team with the persuasion of the team’s manager Marcello Abbondanza. “I had many thoughts as I became a free agent for the first time. The manager’s vision for the next season affected my decision,” said Kim. “I want to win the championship next season, which we missed this time.”

Kim played in Japanese, Chinese, and Turkish leagues after debuting as a professional volleyball player in Heungkuk Life in 2005. Heungkuk Life is the only team she has played for in South Korea. The team’s manager Abbondanza, who influenced Kim’s decision to stay with the team, served as the manager of Fenerbahce in the Turkish league while Kim played for the team.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com