Kim Yeon-koung rejoins Korean national team as adviser

Kim Yeon-koung, long-term captain of the Korean national volleyball team and newly-instated adviser, oversaw the team’s training on Monday led by retired V League legend Han Yoo-mi.

Kim Yeon-koung, left, speaks to assistant coach Han Yoo-mi during Korean national volleyball team training at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong on Monday. [YONHAP]

Kim Yeon-koung, long-term captain of the Korean national volleyball team and newly-instated adviser, oversaw the team’s training on Monday led by retired V League legend Han Yoo-mi.

The Korean national volleyball team started training on Monday at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong in preparation for the upcoming Vollebyall Nations League (VNL), Olympics qualifiers and Asian Games.

The Korea Volleyball Association appointed Han as an assistant coach earlier this month, before appointing Kim as an adviser last week.

Kim, who opted to extend her career at the Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders by signing a one-year free agent contract earlier this month, rejoined the Korean team for the first time since she retired from national duty in 2021.

“I was excited when I first got here and was looking forward to seeing the players,” Kim was quoted as saying by local media on Monday. “I am happy that I put on the Taeguk mark again. I will play a role between the players and coaching staff and also guide foreign and Korean coaching staff in the direction they should be headed.”

Han, who played for the national team 13 years before retiring in 2012, led the team’s training for the very first time.

“I am worried because taking charge of the national team is a big duty, but I think the good coaching staff will help me a lot,” Han said on Monday. “I am aware of the expectations, so I will work to meet those expectations.”

Meanwhile, Cesar Hernandez, who serves as Korean national team head coach and Turkish team VakifBank SK assistant coach, will lead the national team’s training once his schedule with the Turkish team ends.

The Korean women’s volleyball team have been on a steep downhill trajectory since reaching the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with Kim.

Korea performed exceptionally poorly at the VNL in July 2022, finishing dead last without a single win.

That disastrous finish came after the team’s aces Kim and Yang Hyo-jin retired from national duty.

Korea will first compete in the VNL that starts at the end of May to redeem themselves ahead of the Olympics qualifiers and the Asian Games, both scheduled in September.

“We will prepare well for the important events and get good results,” national team captain Park Jeong-ah said.

The national team will head to Turkey on May 22 to train ahead of the tournament, before facing Turkey in their opening game of the VNL on June 1.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]