our eternal captain, Yeonkyung Kim!!!

kim Yeon-kyung is not just a volleyball player; her every play is history, and her fans go crazy when she steps on the court. “It’sno exaggeration to say that “volleyball is divided into before and after Kim Yeon-kyung.” Her teams are always stronger, and her fans canalways count on her.

whatKim leaves behind

since her professional debut in 2005, Kim has established herself as a volleyball legend with her dazzling performances both at home and abroad. Here’s a look at her salary and records, year by year.

salary and major records by year:

–2005: She began her professional career by joining the Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders. from her debut season, she rose to prominence, winning the MVP award.

–2009: He signed with Japan’s JT Marvels to begin his international career. His salary was not disclosed at the time, but he gained international recognition for his performances in the Japanese league.

–2011: He moved to Fenerbahce in Turkey to compete in Europe, where he began to be recognized as a world-class player.

–2017: He returned to Asia, signing with Shanghai Bright Youvest in China.

–2020: He returned to Heungkuk Life and received a great welcome from the fans in Korea.

–2024-2025 season: Became the highest-paid player in Korean women’s volleyball, signing a contract with Heungkuk Life worth KRW 800 million with a salary of KRW 500 million and options worth KRW 300 million.

kim Yeon-kyung, she’s a legend!

if you know anything about volleyball, you’ve probably heard the name KimYeon-kyungat least once, if not more. She’s more than just a great player, she’s the “World Class Volleyball Empress” of a generation. offense for offense, defense for defense, leadership for leadership, you name it. it’s not for nothing that they say “volleyball played Kim Yeon-kyung”.

kim, how far have you come?

kim made her professional debut in 2005 with Heungkuk Life in the Korean League. in her first season, she won the MVP award and led the league in scoring. she became an instant star with her“Is this real?” performances. but she didn’t stay in Korea. she set out to conquer almost every league that volleyball allowed.

–Japan JT Marvels (2009-2011) : at first, I thought, “Will she work in the Asian league?” But I was wrong. after sweeping the championships and MVPs , “Where next?“

–Fenerbahçe, Turkey (2011-2017): the Turkish league is one of the best in Europe, but Kim was even better. winner of the European Champions League, MVP of the Turkish league, “There has never been a player like her.”

–Shanghai, China (2017-2018, 2019-2020): “Why don’t you play the Chinese league?” Yes, I went and was the league’s top scorer.

–Return to South Korea (2020-2021, 2024-): back in Korea after 11 years, fans went crazy. and he won a championship. but in 2024, he returned to Heungkuk Life! This is the class of the GOAT.

the ‘Messi of volleyball’ recognized by the world

overseas evaluations of Kim Yeon-kyung.

–US volleyball media outlet Bollywood: “South Korea’s Kim Yeon-kyung scored 207 points in her first Olympics. this is the highest point total ever, surpassing Gamoba’s 204 points at the 2004 Athens Olympics.”

–The Associated Press: “It didn’t take long for me to admire Kim, whose serve was unstoppable to watch .”

–China’s Sina Sports: “Kim has a great spike and jump, as well as considerable skills in back row offense and defense. she also has leadership qualities on the court. she is the most complete super attacker in the world, worthy of being the best attacker in the world.”

overseas experts’ assessment:

–Giovanni Guidetti (head coach of the Netherlands women’s national volleyball team): “You don’t find players like Kim Yeon-kyung anywhere. she is the Lionel Messi of soccer, both offensively and defensively.”

–Jose Roberto Guimaraes (former head coach of Fenerbahce, Turkey): “Give her the right amount and she will take care of it. she’s one of the best strikers in the world. it’s very difficult to stop her.”

as you can see, Kim is recognized as a top player in many different countries and media outlets, and her outstanding skills and leadership have impressed volleyball fans around the world.

kim says it best. “She is a legend.” I was not sad to hear the news of her retirement. from the bottom of my heart…thank you for everything. “Captain Forever”