Volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung was once again suspended by her South Korean club over a free agency dispute, a move that can potentially put her player status in limbo.

Heungguk Life Pink Spiders on Monday requested that the Korea Volleyball Federation register Kim as a “voluntarily withdrawn player,” a form of ban which effectively stops a player from signing with other teams.

Kim is reportedly seeking to remain on the club she has played with for the past two years, Turkey’s Fenerbahce, while Heungguk Life has maintained that she is still its player.

“For the past year, the team worked for an amicable solution of the matter, but Kim did not back down from her original stance,” the Pink Spiders said via a press release. “The team has provided unprecedented support and convenience (for Kim), and yet she has insisted on saying things that just aren’t true.”

The team said it will allow the 25-year-old to play elsewhere if she “upholds the regulations and sincerely apologizes to the team.”

Kim’s agency said Tuesday that the Heungguk Life is the one who is violated the regulations, and added Kim will soon issue an official statement about the issue.

Voluntarily withdrawn players refer to those who have terminated their contract while still legally bound to their team. The system exists in most South Korean professional sports leagues.

If the team agrees to terminate the contract, he or she is considered to have “voluntarily withdrawn” him or herself from playing, and is banned from joining any other team. Should the cited player wish to play elsewhere, the team must consent.

The focal point of the dispute is whether or not Kim qualifies as a free agent; if she does, then she is no longer legally bound to the team.

Under the rules by the Korean Volleyball Federation, a player must play at least six seasons for a single team to become a free agent. Heungguk Life argued that Kim is still obligated to the team, as she had only played four years in the South Korean club from 2005 to 2009.

Kim insisted that her six years were over since she played two more years in Japan on loan from the Pink Spiders.

When Heungguk Life requested last year that the KOVO label Kim a voluntarily withdrawn player, the federation ruled that Heungguk Life will retain the rights to Kim but should allow her to play overseas on a loan.

The KOVO’s deal came with strings, however, as Kim was mandated to return to the team after two years.

The KOVO is likely to intervene again, but Heungguk Life appears to have the upper hand in the dispute since it still has Kim’s rights on paper. This means there is a possibility that one of the country’s best and most popular athletes will end up grounded in her prime.



By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)