Former volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung is stirring reactions with every move after retirement through The Wonder Coach.
On the 24th, Korea Women's Professional Volleyball team Heungkuk Life officially announced the signing of Lee Na-yeon. Lee Na-yeon, who debuted in the 2011-2012 season, played on the professional stage through the 2023-2024 season.
However, she is currently active as the setter for the Pilseung Wonder Dogs on MBC entertainment show The Wonder Coach. Based on her performance on The Wonder Coach, Lee Na-yeon has returned to the professional stage.
At the same time, the influence of The Wonder Coach is also drawing attention. The Wonder Coach is an entertainment program that depicts Kim Yeon-koung, once called the volleyball emperor, returning as a rookie coach in her 0th year. It depicts the Wonder Dogs' challenge to achieve a majority victory, dreaming of an uprising by the 'underdog' players who were pushed out of the pro world, with the goal of creating Korea's eighth women's professional volleyball team.
In this context, Kim Yeon-koung was the 'volleyball emperor' during her playing days but is showing the growth of a rookie coach in her 0th year. In particular, she is receiving praise for showing growth both as a coach and as a senior player alongside players who were pushed out of the professional world.
In fact, The Wonder Coach recorded a 2.2% rating on its first broadcast on the 28th of last month (Nielsen Korea national households), but by the third episode on the 12th it recorded a 4.7% rating, more than doubling. This has raised expectations that it may surpass the recent variety hit benchmark of 5%.
Additionally, The Wonder Coach is sweeping first place in same-day variety program buzz rankings, including the 20-49 ratings. Thanks to the support, the program, originally planned as eight episodes, was quickly extended by one episode.
Furthermore, it appears that Kim Yeon-koung, once the volleyball emperor, is also becoming a variety show emperor after retirement. Kim Yeon-koung operates the KYK Foundation to nurture young athletic talent under her name, in addition to promoting volleyball through The Wonder Coach, and she is also active as an advisor to her former team, Heungkuk Life.
In addition to her challenge as a volleyball coach and raising her profile through The Wonder Coach, she has also renewed her personal YouTube channel, 'Bread Sister Kim Yeon-koung', making her renewed activities more anticipated. Attention is focused on how far Kim Yeon-koung's post-retirement activities, now as vigorous as her playing days, will expand.
[Photos] OSEN DB, provided by MBC, source: Heungkuk Life.
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