adminApril 22nd. It was right after the 2023 V-League Women’s FA (free agent) player recruitment was closed.
Korea Expressway Corporation, which broke expectations and won the championship match, lost Park Jung-ah and Jeong Dae-yeong to Pepper Savings Bank and GS Caltex, respectively, among the five free agent players. Even if Bae Yoo, Moon Jeong-won, and Jeon Se-yan were caught, it was a huge power loss. Jeong Dae-young is a grade B (annual salary of 90 million won) and has no compensation players. There was no sharp way to reinforce the power other than bringing Park Jung-ah’s compensation player from the Pepper Savings Bank.
It was around the time director Kim Jong-min’s worries deepened. got a call. It was Lee Go-eun, who moved to Pepper Savings Bank last season. Tim had left, but it was a phone call that confirmed that they were still on good terms. Manager Kim Jong-min sincerely congratulated Lee Go-eun for being treated well when she left the team. While sending him away, he received a 200% annual salary as well as promising outside heater Kim Sae-in as a reward player. It was as if Lee Go-eun left a big present for the road construction company and director Kim Jong-min.
“Director, will you take me?” Lee Go-eun cautiously asked director Kim Jong-min. They had to bring in someone from Pepper Savings Bank as a reward player for Park Jung-ah, but they seemed curious about the choice of the Korea Expressway Corporation and coach Kim Jong-min. It is unknown whether Lee Go-eun voluntarily contacted him to ask about the idea of the road construction project, or whether he was asked to stab someone in advance. However, director Kim Jong-min replied, “I won’t take you.”
At that time, director Kim Jong-min had complicated thoughts. Various plans came out depending on who was on the list of compensation players. He said that once he doesn’t have a player he likes, he’ll get a 300% reward. The money was also planned to be invested in the recruitment of a large outside hitter next season. If Oh Ji-young or Lee Go-eun, former highway construction workers, were not on the list of protected players, I only thought of bringing them in and using them as trade cards. He never thought that Pepper Savings Bank would not put Lee Go-eun on the list of protected players.
But it became a reality. On April 23, Lee Go-eun’s name was not on the list of protected players sent by Pepper Savings Bank. I immediately discussed the roster with the coaching staff. First of all, I saw a consensus of opinion to bring Lee Go-eun and use it or use it as a trade card. When he contacted which club, he was interested in signing Lee Go-eun. It was a situation where the road construction had nothing to lose. The next day, Korean Air and Korea Expressway Corporation jointly held a celebration of the victory. Many reporters flocked to director Kim Jong-min. We asked about the selection of compensation players for the Korea Expressway Corporation. Director Kim Jong-min spoke frankly. “I was surprised to see Lee Go-eun fall into the roster. He intends to choose,” he said. In the narrow volleyball world, this word soon reached the ears of Pepper Savings Bank.
Pepper Savings Bank, which had removed Lee Go-eun from the list, seemed to be taken aback when things did not go as planned. I’ve been looking everywhere for advice and asking how to solve it. There was even talk of “how to say sorry to the road construction and give another protected player instead of Lee Go-eun.” Of course, this was unlikely to come true. Submitting a list after already submitting it is a violation of the rules. There was no way the road construction company would listen.
Director Kim Jong-min suddenly remembered what happened six years ago.
At that time, the Korea Expressway Corporation recruited Park Jung-ah from IBK Industrial Bank. After returning from the national team game, I met Park Jung-ah at the airport parking lot and signed a contract. After that, he pondered over the protection player until the end. The target was two people, Lee Hyo-hee and Go Ye-rim. Director Kim Jong-min repeatedly struggled with which of the two to tie. He hadn’t decided until an hour before the roster was submitted. In the end, Lee Hyo-hee’s name entered the blank. In the wind, Go Ye-rim went to IBK Industrial Bank. The basis for the choice made by director Kim Jong-min at the time was as follows.
“Even if we do not put Lee Hyo-hee on the list of protected players, the probability of IBK Industrial Bank taking him is low. I know that, but I had to think about the other side. After all, players know who is off the list of protected players. In that case, it is also necessary to consider the emotional wounds of the missing players. He is a player who will continue to be with him, but there is no benefit to making him feel bad. When it comes to such important decisions, you shouldn’t take risks.”
At the time, the Korea Expressway Corporation and coach Kim Jong-min chose Lee Hyo-hee, and thanks to this, they won the first combined championship, but Pepper Savings Bank was different. Who at Pepper Savings Bank made the list of protected players this time is still a mystery. It is unknown whether the decision was made by a foreign coach who did not even consider the feelings of the players, or if someone at the front desk made this judgment aside from the coach, but it was a painful defeat.
Mystique never beats the jeongseok. The Korea Expressway Corporation chose a path that anyone could expect. Lee Go-eun was nominated on the 26th. The worst situation has come to reality for Pepper Savings Bank. Public opinion was not good. Fans exploded. He was angry that he abandoned the player he recruited last year after one season. It was a matter of trust. Pepper Savings Bank, who wanted to regret it, urgently found a way to deal with it. Traded with another club. There weren’t many clubs that could afford a setter. I looked for the road construction again. Again, it was hasty. First, he showed his card. He said he would give him the rookie nomination. There has never been such an easy card game in the world. The Korea Expressway Corporation rejected it once while managing facial expressions. He told me to see him after the rookie nominations were completed.
The 35 first-place marbles are coveted, but coach Kim Jong-min dragged them into a long game like a championship match against Heungkuk Life Insurance. He insinuated that he would trade Lee Go-eun to another club. Pepper Savings Bank was even more anxious. Lee Go-eun called director Kim Jong-min again when the Korea Expressway Corporation announced the nomination. “Do you have to unpack your lodgings, Director?” he asked. It would have been a really frustrating situation. Director Kim Jong-min said, “I don’t know either. You do it yourself,” he replied.
Prior to that, director Kim Jong-min had work to do. First of all, it was an internal traffic control. Lee Yoon-jung was the player who would be most psychologically affected by Lee Go-eun’s nomination. He had to appease the main setter first. He sent a text message saying, “Trust the director and wait a bit.” The V-League women’s coach, who has to understand the players’ minds whenever a situation arises, is one of the most extreme jobs in the world.
Around this time, other clubs also heard about a re-trade between Pepper Savings Bank and Korea Expressway Corporation.
IBK Industrial Bank, which barely finished 6th in the season and had 30 rookie draft nomination balls, drew great attention. By recruiting Ponpun in the Asian quarter, the setter could be given to the opponent as the setter was free. If Pepper Savings Bank receives the first nomination right, IBK Industrial Bank is more likely to exercise both the first and second nomination rights with 65 marbles. However, IBK Industrial Bank could not immediately move into action. In the meantime, Pepper Savings Bank made an additional proposal to the road construction.
In addition to the first rookie nomination, it was about giving one more player who was not on the list of protected players. There was no reason for the road construction to refuse. As soon as his best friend, GS Caltex coach Sang-Hyun Cha heard about it, he said, “Do it quickly.” Relaxed manager Kim Jong-min said, “We will inform you of the final decision by May 1st.”
Director Kim Jong-min called Lee Go-eun ahead of the final decision. he ate together He informed me of the decision. He said, “There is no need to pack. You can stay at Pepper Savings Bank. The situation has turned out like this, but hold on to your heart and go hard.” Lee Go-eun, who heard that, said, “Does this make sense? Why are you doing this with me?” He smiled on his face, but on the inside he must have wanted to cry. In the end, on May 2, Pepper Savings Bank issued an official press release stating that Lee Go-eun was re-recruited and that the rookie first nomination and Choi Ga-eun were given as a reward player.
Lee Go-eun returned to her original position after 6 days of twists and turns.
He moved between different teams during his 10-year V-League career. He joined the road construction in the 3rd place in the 1st round of the 2013-2014 season, and transferred to IBK Industrial Bank in 2016. Jeon Se-yan Choi Eun-ji and Kim Mi-yeon were included in the 2-2 trade to change Lee Go-eun. In 2018, he wore a GS Caltex uniform against Lee Na-yeon for a trade. In 2020, Lee Won-jeong, Yoo Seo-yeon, Han Song-hee, and Lee Go-eun’s 2-2 trade, I wore the road construction uniform again. I chose Pepper Savings Bank as a free agent player in 2022. After one season, he had a temporary enemy in road construction as a compensation player, but returned to Pepper Savings Bank. In this wind, he made the first case of coming to the same team road construction three times, leaving as a compensation player, and returning to his previous team.
No one knows what kind of play Lee Go-eun, who has been hurt over the past six days, will show at Pepper Savings Bank. With the trade of a protected player close to happening, Pepper Savings Bank attracted the most attention in the free agent market this year. If the goal was to put more team names on people’s lips, it would be a great success. If not, it’s an embarrassing result. Both justification and practicality were lost.크크크벳
No matter what anyone says, the true winners of this trade are Korea Expressway Corporation and manager Kim Jong-min. In the championship match against Heungkuk Life Insurance, he created a miracle of 0% and defeated a world-class master, and then made another miracle by bringing the rookie first nomination and another compensation player with one compensation player. He nominated Jung Ji-seok ahead of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance while coaching Korean Air. Thanks to that choice, Korean Air has built strong wings. Director Kim Jong-min, who made such a contribution that Korean Air deserves to give free airline tickets for life, is now trying to catch Kim Se-bin as the first rookie nomination. If everything goes according to his plan, he will make another contribution to receiving a free expressway ticket for life from the Korea Expressway Corporation. Regarding this situation, one director said, “I wonder how many times I saved the country in my previous life, so this kind of luck comes in a row. I am really lucky this year.”
There were players who were just as blessed as coach Kim Jong-min. It is Choi Ga-eun. Thanks to this trade, I will go on a tour of the western United States, a winning bonus, with the road construction players. I have to start hard training from May 1st, but since I followed the schedule of the road construction players, my vacation was extended until the end of May.