Rule #1:

Click HERE first to fully understand Kim’s drama with her former team.

Then feel free to read more drama below.

Before we forget, KYK has been named as an Ambassadress for Korea’s Department of Tourism. Congrats Kim YK!

Now read the latest on her struggles to break free from her former club team.

April 26th, 2013

We’ve been informed that Kim Yeon Koung and her legal team tried to meet with Heungkuk to try to end this drama once and for all. Sadly, Heungkuk did not show up but submitted 2 demands in order to settle:

1. Heungkuk demands that Kim Yeon Koung must honor and accept accept FIVB’s decision that she belongs to Heungkuk and she is NOT a free agent.
2. Heungkuk demands a public apology from Kim Yeon Koung.

On the other hand, Kim is requesting Heungkuk to dissolve her contract with them and change her status as a “free agent”.

We feel very sad for Kim.

After a long season in Turkey with Fenerbahce, it looks like she has another battle to face. Both parties will try to settle again next month.

Thoughts?

From yeon-koung-fan.blogspot.com:

January 25th, 2013

HKL going to Turkey without notice, was it just?

The negotiation end date was the 21st. However the conclusion was a fall through. HKL and Kim Yeon-koung are drawing a parallel again.

This negotiation is based on four solutions derived by the meeting hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding Kim Yeon-koung’s status problem back in October 22nd of last year. Among these includes the conclusion ‘understanding that according to current regulation, Kim is under HKL, within three months, a contract regarding foreign transfer needs to be resolved.’

First of all, the first friction was the willingness to negotiate. HKL says they were active. They have attempted to send Kim correspondence, email, text message, etc. to proceed negotiations. But they say Kim was unreachable. They say she contacted them 10 days before the three-month period was closing. Kim’s side says otherwise. They wanted to hear from KVA affiliates directly before giving an answer. At the time, the affiliate was away on business, so Kim’s side has met him twice after on December 22nd and January 5th.

After that, Kim’s side sent three requests to HKL to be answered. >> To keep the promise made with affliate entities during the parliamentary inspection. >> The contract with HKL in order to comprise the lease form must be made keeping the original contract made with Fenerbahce. (As promised, there cannot be changes or additions made) >> KVA’s official document on November 23rd of last year stating “if Kim does not agree to this they will not issue 2013-2014 season’s ITC” is an unfair request by HKL and if the negotiation cannot be resolved by the given time limit, KVA must take this into consideration and guarantee that there is no future damage.

HKL, on the 18th, visited Fenerbahce in person to wrap up Kim’s contract. Kim Jang-hee of KOVO’s manager of game support team accompanied him. However, Kim’s side says HKL ignored the protocol of visiting. Commonly if Club A’s affiliate were to meet with Club B’s affiliate or player, they need to notify through an official correspondence then after confirmation, making the visit is according to protocol.

Their stance on what happened after the visit is also split.

HKL say they offered Kim ‘two years abroad then returning to Korea.’ When this offer was not accepted, HKL claims they offered Fenerbahce Kim’s ‘complete transfer.’ It’s been said KOVO’s manager Kim was very surprised. HKL stressed their offer of $1 million in transfer fee in comparison to other sports international precedents is very low. Even so, Fenerbahce stated ‘transfer fee is customarily 5~7%,’ offering a ridiculously low rate, so HKL refused discussion.

Kim’s side refuted. They say ‘HKL saying they offered Kim two years abroad then returning to Korea but she refused’ is not true. The point is that HKL’s general manager Kwon didn’t make such offer. Also, they say Fenerbahce was quite surprised by the unexpected offer of transfer fee for complete transfer. Commonly in volleyball, in the case of foreign transfers, most players sign with 1-2 year terms. It is true they are free to move around after the time is up. This is the reason Fenerbahce could not agree to HKL’s offer. Even with that in mind, Fenerbahce formally accepted the sales offer to pay 5-7% of her current salary. The reason Fenerbahce considered the complete transfer offer was in consideration for Kim going through hard times with HKL.

Kim’s side also revealed that general manager Kwon got a warning from Fenerbahce. Kwon was trying to follow Kim around her training schedule saying “The negotiation needs to be wrapped up. Is training really important right now, there is no use playing in Fenerbahce if the negotiation is not done. It’s not important to go to Poland. We can go to Poland.” They shared that Fenerbahce warned him saying, ‘The most important thing to the player is the training. We cannot make the player uncomfortable prior to the game. If you follow us to Poland, we will never allow you to be in contact with the player.”

If this is the truth, this is an international disgrace. From getting on a flight to Turkey without any prior notice to trying to disturb training is cutting away the credibility of Korean volleyball to the world. Where is the end to this deeply divided conflict, a fight for the truth?

January 24th, 2013

Kim Yeon-koung’s side, “HKL didn’t even notify of the visit”

The fight around Kim Yeon-koung (24, Fenerbahce) is in danger of falling into muddy waters once again.

Kim’s agent InsoKorea (Rep Yoon Ki-young) on the afternoon of the 24th stated through a press release that he objects to HKL’s report of “the negotiation with Kim has fallen through.” In the press release, InspoKorea explained, “it is true that HKL has sent text message and certified mail many times, but we wanted to answer after hearing the specifics from KVA affiliates.”

Afterwards, InspoKorea had meetings with a KVA affiliate twice, on December 22nd the past year at Intercontinental Hotel and on January 5th of this year at Shilla Hotel, and they wanted to talk to HKL based on these conversations. Especially since Kim is in mid-season currently, they wished to officially communicate via email to exchange comments, however on the 21st, HKL’s General Manager Kwon and a KOVO affiliate went to Turkey in person together, he explained.

Regarding this visit, InspoKorea asserted, “HKL did not notify Kim beforehand that they would be going to Istanbul and tried to meet her through Fenberbahce Club” and that “the ‘two years foreign play and returning to korea’ said to have suggested by Kown is not true and she did not get such offer.”

Rather InspoKorea explained that HKL suggested to sell off the athlete between clubs during the negotiation meeting with Fenerbahce affliates. The selling between club is a sort of a posting system such of recent Ryu Hyun-jin who advanced to the major leagues(baseball). The $1 million HKL was talking about was for this sell amount, and Fenerbahce was taken aback by the sudden request, therefore the negotiation fell through.

InspoKorea gives three reasons that HKL’s sell request is unjust. First, HKL is currently not under contract with Kim. Second, Kim’s current contract with Fenerbahce needs to be invalidated. Third, all three parties, HKL, Kim and Fenerbahce, need to be in agreement with the conditions.

HKL is still not acknowledging the existence of an agent. InspoKorea’s Yoon also said “No one was notified regarding the visit to Turkey” and asked back, “how is Kim supposed to answer with a sudden visit from HKL without any prior communication?”

Like an infected wound bursting, how Kim’s problem that has heated up once again will be resolved? One thing is for sure. They’ve come too far to end in a happy ending for all.

January 23rd, 2013

The negotiations surrounding the status of Kim Yeon-koung(25) who is playing in the Turkish women’s volleyball league and pro volleyball club Heungkuk Life(HKL) has fallen through.

HKL revealed on the 22nd, “We offered ‘two years abroad and returning to korea after’ to Kim but she refuse this, and lastly offered even ‘complete transfer’ but Fenerbahce club denied on the basis of not suitable transfer fee.

HKL’s General Manager Kwon personally sent to Turkey on the 18th and tried to negotiate with Kim but was not able to bring the interests closer.

HKL explained that Fenerbahce expressed in Europe there is no Posting practice like that of Korea, refusing the transfer fee for complete transfer, standing firm of ‘around 5-7% of the salary’ resulting in a non agreement.

It’s been said HKL put up 1 billion won (~ 1 million dollars) as the transfer fee. July of last year, Kim signed a contract for 2 years with a salary of 1.5 billion won (~1.4 million dollars).

On the 8th of this month, Kim sent an email to HKL, KVA and KOVO expressing “the original contract with Fenerbahce needs to be honored” and “I want to continue playing as an internationa FA.”

After that on the 16th, she requested “The transfer agreement with HKL needs to be written with basis that the existing contract with Fenerbahce will be maintained and will terminate June 10th of this year.”

The ‘negotiation on the edge’ between HKL and Kim was not able to be resolved and with that the agreement made by the government and the Sports associates back in October that allowed Kim to go abroad may also be in danger of becoming annulled.

Kim and HKL have been in conflict regarding the athlete’s foreign transfer after the London Olympics.

Kim’s stance of wanting to play in a bigger stage and the club’s stance of not recognizing an athlete without FA status putting forward an agent to independently sign with a foreign club has run a parallel.

This problem was talked about even in the parliamentary inspection, showing signs of turning political, the government and the Sports associates opened the way for Kim to play in Turkey in October 22nd of last year.

The ITC would be issued right away, but there was a condition that within 3 months Kim will sign a transfer contract with Fenerbahce under HKL and the FA regulation would be modified.

Afterwards, Kim went to Turkey directly and started being active, but until the time limit was almost over, the negotiation did not progress at all.

And because of this HKL’s General Manager went to Turkey personally to attempt to resolve for the last time but fell through.

The second clause of the decision from three months ago was not met.

Kim will be in limbo, not an FA nor a transfer under HKL, and it is unclear whether she will be able to play in the future.

KVA sent an official document to Kim and HKL on the basis of the committee meeting from October of last year making firm that “the above result is not a mediated settlement but rather a decision” and that “if Kim does not agree to this they will not issue 2013-2014 season’s ITC.”

Furthermore, KVA has not consented to a replacement ITC stating her as a player of HKL, so there is possibility that this season’s activities may be on halt.

However, regarding the decision made in October, Kim’s agent Yoon of InspoKorea refuted “At the time of the meeting, the decision was made without the athlete even being present, but Kim agreed.” and that “the notion that she is not trying to negotiate with HKL is trying to blame Kim for the fall through.”

He posed a question, “In the decision, it’s noted ‘if Kim does not agree’ the ITC will not be issued, but who will take responsibility when HKL does not agree?”

Kim, in the email mentioned above, requested that “if HKL’s irrational offers are the reason the negotiation cannot happen in the time limit, KVA should take this into consideration and make sure there is no damage.” but it is unknown whether this will be accepted.

Finally, during KOVO’s committee meeting on the 18th, women’s regulation was not resolved during the FA regulation revision discussions, so this will very likely be unfinished as well.

HKL expressed, “It is regretful that Kim would ignore the decision from an institution that has public credibility and rely on the politicians to satisfy her wishes, wanting special treatment with a ‘persistence will pay off’ attitude” and that “to find a resolution, we will work with the affiliate institutions.”

The bottom line:

Kim Yeon Koung is NOT free and the conflict between her and her former club team seem to be far from being resolved.

SO SADDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!

Kim doesn’t deserve to go through something like this. She is one amazing athlete and she brought Korean volleyball back on the map. Obviously, her old team wants MORE MONEY knowing that she is the highest paid female athlete in the world right now. Her contract with Fenerbahce is reportedly worth US$1 MILLION.

Thoughts?