“Everybody was so busy catching the ‘rabbit’ that they couldn’t afford to pay attention to the ‘rabbit’. It is also true that, with the exception of Na Kyung-bok, there were no players who could be targeted for external recruitment.”
A professional volleyball official explained why the men’s free agent (FA) market ended quietly. After the 2022-2023 season ended, a total of 16 people qualified for FA, but only Na Gyeong-bok (29, photo) moved the team from Woori Card to KB Insurance, and all the rest remained with the original club. The average free agent contract fee also decreased from 390.77 million won last season to 378.25 million won.
Na Gyeong-bok, who was the winner of the regular league MVP in the 2019-2020 season, scored 603 points at Woori Card this season and ranked first in domestic player scores (5th overall). He also signed an FA contract with KB Insurance under the condition of receiving 800 million won in annual compensation (600 million won in annual salary and 200 million won in options). At the same time, Na Gyeong-bok also set the record for the highest ransom in the free agency market along with Heo Soo-bong (25), who decided to receive 800 million won in annual salary alone from Hyundai Capital.
Na Gyeong-bok is scheduled to enlist on active duty on the 24th, so his actual contract starts from the 2024-2025 season. An official from KB Insurance said, “If Na Kyung-bok is selected as a national representative at the Hangzhou Asian Games (which starts in September this year) and wins a gold medal, she may join the team right away.” If he wins a gold medal in the Asian Games, he can be transferred to the arts and sports staff and return to the court immediately. Since starting setter Hwang Taek-eui (27) is also scheduled to enlist in the Armed Forces Sports Unit in May, KB Insurance is more thirsty for a gold medal in the Asian Games than any other team. The last time Korean men’s volleyball won a gold medal at an Asian Games was in Doha in 2006.
KEPCO Park Cheol-woo (38) signed a personal 5th free agent contract while signing for 151 million won in compensation (annual salary of 120 million won, option of 31 million won).먹튀검증 It is a tie record for the most contracts in the men’s FA. Hyundai Capital playing coach Yeo Oh-hyun (45) also holds the same record.