Volleyball star's agent threatens action against rumormongers

Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung’s agency Lianat said Wednesday that it will take legal action against people who spread malicious rumors about her.

Kim Yeon-koung watches a Volleyball Nations League game between Korea and the Dominican Republic at West Suwon Chilbo Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on June 29. [YONHAP]

Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung’s agency Lianat said Wednesday that it will take legal action against people who spread malicious rumors about her.

Korean volleyball magazine The Spike published an interview with Kim’s former teammate, Lee Jae-yeong, on Monday in which Lee said that one player constantly swore at her twin sister, Lee Da-yeong, during 2020-21 V League season games and training.

Kim and the Lee twins played together with the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders until the sisters were forced to leave the team after being embroiled in a scandal in February 2021, when a former middle school teammate accused them of being bullies in school, listing 21 specific allegations including one that one of the sisters threatened her with a knife.

According to Lianat, multiple YouTubers spread malicious rumors about Kim after Lee Jae-young's interview, and the agency released a statement in response on Wednesday.

“We will take strong measures against reports written and published with malice, including the article by The Spike, as well as against YouTubers,” the statement said. “Kim will not conduct interviews until follow-up measures are taken about [the article in The Spike]. We will take strong legal action against YouTubers who constantly spread malicious rumors, and also against malicious comments. We will not settle for an agreement or forgive violators under any circumstances.”

While Lee Jae-young did not reveal the name of the player during the interview, Lianat told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Thursday that she's clearly talking about Kim.

Lianat also said that some YouTubers, including “volleyball twins.” spread baseless rumors about Kim.

Kim still plays for the Pink Spiders, whom she signed a contract extension with as a free agent in April. The Lee twins, on the other hand, have not played in the V League since the scandal in 2021.

Lee Jae-yeong, left, with her twin sister Lee Da-yeong when they both played for the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in 2021. [YONHAP]

Lee Jae-young does not play for any team at the moment after she picked up an injury at her former team PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece in November 2021 and returned to Korea, while Lee Da-yeong signed with French club Volero Le Cannet in June ahead of the 2023-24 season.

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