Kim Yeon-koung, Always Receiving Praise No Matter What, How Frustrated Must She Have Been...

Volleyball World 'Hakppok' Scandal Amidst Kim Yeon-kyung's Good Deeds
Controversial SNS Posts from the Time Also Spark Interest

Incheon Heungkuk Life's Kim Yeon-koung, a female professional volleyball player, is giving a thumbs-up after scoring.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Online Issue Team] Amid the strong backlash surrounding the twin sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young of the women's professional volleyball team Heungkuk Life, who have recently been embroiled in a school violence controversy, a heartwarming story about their teammate Kim Yeon-koung has emerged, drawing attention.

Recently, a writer identified as A, who introduced themselves as a senior of Kim Yeon-koung's high school, shared an anecdote on their Instagram, stating they were "a graduate of the first class of the same school."

A mentioned a "high school rookie junior" whom their coach used to praise endlessly, describing the player as "so talented that I cannot even discuss her skills, and someone who knows how to change old customs through her abilities."

They especially confessed that junior players had to hand-wash the seniors' uniforms and underwear, adding, "The sense of self-disgust at that time made me give up on sports. That friend who endured all this and changed those customs is truly the best."

They also added hashtags #KimYeon-koung #CheerUp #Fighting, revealing that the junior player was Kim Yeon-koung, and said, "Although she is known by the nickname 'Bread Sister,' I think she is really cool."

This is not the first heartwarming story about Kim Yeon-koung. It is known that during the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, when the Korean women's volleyball team defeated China and won the championship for the first time in 20 years but were poorly treated with a gathering at a kimchi stew restaurant, Kim Yeon-koung took the players to a high-end restaurant at her own expense.

Also, last year, considering the team's salary cap (the total annual salary a team can spend), she voluntarily reduced her salary and returned to Heungkuk Life, making a decision to support her juniors.

Photo by Kim Yeon-kyung, Instagram capture

Meanwhile, Kim Yeon-koung's SNS posts responding to the discord rumors have also attracted attention among netizens. Before the school violence controversy arose, player Lee Da-young posted a pointed message on her SNS that reminded people of Kim Yeon-koung, fueling ongoing rumors of discord. In contrast, since the end of last year when the discord rumors surfaced, Kim Yeon-koung has remained silent, only posting messages reflecting her feelings.

She posted messages such as "It's enough to be a good person to good people," "Happiness is not about getting all you want. It is about enjoying all you have," "I'm going well in the direction I want to go, right?" and "Love the life you live. And live the life you love," without directly confronting the rumors.