South Korean female volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung will be allowed to play overseas this season after all, the local governing body of the sport said Monday.
The Korea Volleyball Federation said it has decided to ratify Kim's controversial move from South Korean team Heungguk Life Pink Spiders to Turkey's Fenerbahce. Park Sung-min, vice chairman of the KOVO, announced the decision after a meeting among officials of the KOVO, the Korean Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Pink Spiders.
"We have decided to issue the international transfer certificate for Kim as early as we can," Park said, referring to the document necessary to complete international transactions.
Kim's status has been a hot potato in South Korean volleyball since July, when she signed a two-year deal with Fenerbahce. Last year, she competed one season for the Turkish club on loan from Heungguk Life.
Kim was the leading scorer at the London Olympics and helped South Korea reach the semifinals. Last season, she was named the most valuable player of the CEV Champions League, the highest level of European club volleyball competition, as Fenerbahce claimed the title.
After the signing, however, the Pink Spiders claimed that Kim had violated KOVO regulations because she hadn't yet earned the eligibility as a free agent. The International Volleyball Federation ruled earlier this month that Kim remained under contract with the Korean team, forcing Fenerbahce to enter negotiations with Heungguk Life to complete her transfer.
A player must spend at least six seasons with a team to become a free agent in South Korea. Kim played four years in South Korea and two more in Japan on loan before leaving for Turkey. Kim had said the three years she played overseas should count toward the free agency, while the team countered that she needed to play six years in the local league.
Park said the KOVO will change its free agency rule within three months. Under the change, players who haven't played six years at home will still be able to play overseas if they want to, as long as they return to South Korea and complete six years here.
For instance, if a player who has played for only three years in South Korea wants to leave for a foreign league, the player must later return and play for three more years for the original club.
"Everyone at the meeting agreed to this particular change, and the decision is final," Park said.
As for allowing Kim to join Fenerbahce for the upcoming season, Park said, "If the KOVO's board of directors opposes the move, the federation will exercise its right to override the board's decision and will issue the ITC."
Last month, the KOVO mediated a settlement between Kim and Heungguk Life. Under the settled agreement, the team retained rights to the player but would still allow her to play for two years overseas on loan, as long as she would return to the Korean team afterward.
The controversy took another twist last Friday, when Kim claimed she was forced into agreeing to the settlement and that the KOVO reneged on an earlier pledge to keep the settlement confidential.
Kim said all parties involved in the settlement had decided they didn't want to influence the FIVB while it was deliberating the Kim case. The KOVO submitted the paperwork to the FIVB earlier this month, and the international governing body of the sport ruled that Kim was not yet a free agent, essentially taking the team's side.
Last week, Kim said the FIVB's decision would have been different had it not received the settlement paper.
KOVO officials have admitted that they delivered the document to the FIVB without informing Kim in advance. (Yonhap News)
