April 10, 2025
SEOUL – Kim Yeon-koung, widely considered the greatest Korean volleyball player of all time, retired Tuesday after leading the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders to a 3-2 series win over the Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks, clinching her fifth championship in the women’s division of the Korean V-League.
The 37-year-old led the team to victory in the decisive game and was named MVP of the championship series. The fifth championship by the Pink Spiders solidified their reputation as arguably the greatest dynasty in the women’s division, with more championships than any other team in the league.
For Kim, it marked a perfect ending to a career of 20 years spanning professional leagues in South Korea, Japan, Turkey and China. She brought an immediate impact to the teams throughout her career, and was considered among the best scorers and players in the world.
Kim also garnered numerous honors on international stages, including the MVP honors at the women’s volleyball event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Despite South Korea’s 1-3 loss to Italy that knocked them out in the quarterfinals, she was the leading scorer of the event and ranked third in spike efficiency.