Kim Yeon-koung tells culture minister how to revamp Korean volleyball

Korean volleyball legends Kim Yeon-koung, Han Yoo-mi, Han Song-yi and Lee Sook-ja joined Culture Minister Yu In-chon Thursday to discuss the future of the sport in Korea and the need to overhaul the country's player development system

From left: Former volleyball players Han Song-yi and Lee Sook-ja, Culture Minister Yu In-chon, Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders outside hitter Kim Yeon-koung and former player Han Yoo-mi pose for a photo during a meeting by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Korean volleyball legends Kim Yeon-koung, Han Yoo-mi, Han Song-yi and Lee Sook-ja joined Culture Minister Yu In-chon Thursday to discuss the future of the sport in Korea and the need to overhaul the country's player development system and support athletes to find careers in retirement.

In a meeting held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the four volleyball legends — three of whom are retired while Kim continues to play in the domestic league — joined Culture Minister Yu, Korea Volleyball Association President Oh Han-nam and other volleyball officials to discuss plans to improve Korean volleyball.

The meeting comes after a disappointing few years for the Korean game. Since Kim retired from national duty in 2021, the team has failed to shine at any international tournament.

Korea lost all 12 games at the 2022 Volleyball Nations League and repeated the same result in the annual tournament the following year and failed to medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games later that year, before failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics this year.

This year marks the first time the women’s team has failed to reach the Olympics since 2008. The men’s team, meanwhile, failed to reach the Games for a sixth straight time this year.

“There is a lack of financial support for both women's and men’s volleyball, and I think that needs to be taken care of,” Kim said in the meeting. “I also think that the [Korea Volleyball Association] needs to establish a more systematic approach through which youth players can go on to become senior players for the national team. We need a robust, future-oriented project like this.”

Culture Minister Yu pointed out that building such a system would need to start at elementary school level.

“Not many schools have facilities such as a track field like they do in the United States or Europe, which limits what students can do,” Yu said. “We are preparing to go back to basics and bring big changes gradually once the Olympics is over."

Kim also recommended adding reserve teams to the V League.

“The seven teams in the V League cannot sign new players unless existing players leave their teams, as the teams all have a fixed number capacity,” Kim said. “I am aware that they are trying to implement a reserve team system. Doing so would allow more players to get chances and broaden the player pool.”

Lee, Han Yoo-mi and Han Song-yi, meanwhile, suggested that teams need to find ways to help players consider their options in retirement.

Han Yoo-mi speaks during a meeting by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

The three all said that they feel there is a lack of support for players when it comes to choosing a career outside the sport.

Lee and Han Yoo-mi now work as commentators, while Han Song-yi is still trying to decide what her next steps are.

Former Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks middle blocker Han Song-yi retired from the sport after the end of the 2023-24 V League season in April.

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