Kim Yeon-koung Returns to Korea... Negotiations with Club Begin This Weekend

Korean women's volleyball team captain Kim Yeon-koung is greeting fans as she departs for Turkey from Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 last February.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Female volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung (32) has virtually confirmed her return to the domestic stage. With the possibility of returning to her original team, Heungkuk Life, after more than 10 years abroad, negotiations are expected to begin as early as this weekend.

According to the volleyball community, the Heungkuk Life team recently exchanged intentions with Kim Yeon-koung regarding her return, and they have agreed to meet soon to start negotiations on contract terms such as salary and contract duration. Heungkuk Life is Kim Yeon-koung's original team.

If the contract negotiations conclude smoothly, Kim Yeon-koung will return to the domestic professional league for the first time in 11 years since moving to Japan in 2009 as a loaned player. Kim Yeon-koung originally joined Heungkuk Life in 2005, leading the team to first place in the regular season and winning the championship finals that year, establishing herself as the top attacker in Korea. She then played overseas in Japan, Turkey, China, and other leagues, becoming a world-class player.

Kim Yeon-koung returned from Turkey in April this year and has been looking for a new team since her contract with the Turkish club Eczacıba?ı ended last month. At the time of her move to Turkey, issues such as recognition of free agent (FA) rights and full transfer were unresolved, leaving her under Heungkuk Life's voluntary retirement status. She needed to play six seasons to obtain FA status but only played four seasons, so her rights were not recognized. Once Heungkuk Life requests the Korean Volleyball Federation to lift Kim Yeon-koung's voluntary retirement status, the administrative procedures will be completed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.