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| ▲ In this file photo from Aug. 8, 2021, Kim Yeon-koung of South Korea leaves the court after losing to Serbia in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung, 37, is set to begin a new chapter as a coach on an upcoming MBC variety show, the network announced Monday.
“MBC will launch a new entertainment program featuring Kim Yeon-koung in the second half of this year,” the broadcaster told Yonhap News Agency.
Following her recent retirement, Kim’s post-playing career is already in full swing. Since debuting in 2005 with the Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders in the Korean V-League, she went on to become one of the world’s top outside hitters. Her professional career spanned stints in Japan with JT Marvelous, in Turkiye with Fenerbahçe and Eczacıbaşı, and in China with Shanghai Bright Ubest.
After returning to Korea in the 2020–2021 season, Kim briefly played another season in China before coming back to Heungkuk Life for the 2022–2023 season. In her final season, she led her team to a dominant championship run, finishing first in the regular season and winning the championship series, earning league MVP honors before retiring in style.
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| ▲ Kim Yeon-koung of South Korea celebrates a point against Serbia in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Aug. 8, 2021. (Yonhap) |
According to sources in the volleyball world, Kim will lead a team composed of retired players and those currently active in the semi-professional league. The team will compete against second-tier squads from professional women’s volleyball clubs as part of the show’s concept.
Kim had a brief coaching experience earlier this month during the World All-Star Game held on May 18 at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon. She served as a coach for the first and third sets, motivating players with a tactical board in hand, and took to the court as a player in the second and fourth sets to deliver her signature spikes.
Reflecting on the experience, Kim said, “I realized coaching isn’t easy. If I ever become a coach in the future, today may have been the easiest day.” She also shared that several players and colleagues suggested she had talent for coaching, administration, and broadcasting, adding, “I think I’ll just do whatever I want to do.”
Now serving as an advisor to both the Korean women’s national team and Heungkuk Life, Kim will expand her post-retirement career into coaching and entertainment through MBC’s new volleyball variety program.
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