Outside hitter and middle blocker were the most popular positions in the 2024 women’s professional volleyball free agency market. Among the players who signed free agency contracts, middle blocker Park Eun-jin was the player with the highest salary increase, as she chose to stay with the organization. Park received a 169% pay increase.
The women’s free agency class of 2024 stands out. First, veteran outside hitter Kang So-hwi left GS Caltex to join Korea Expressway Corporation. With the salary cap increase in the women’s division, Kang will earn a total of 800 million won in compensation. Kang signed a three-year contract with an annual salary of 500 million won and an option of 300 million won. She can earn up to 2.4 billion won over the three years.
Kang So-hwi signed for GS Caltex in the 2023-24 season with a salary of 400 million won and an option of 150 million won, 스포츠토토 totaling 550 million won. That’s a 45% increase in salary.
Following Kang So-hwi, outside hitter Lee So-young also left Jungkwanjang and changed to IBK’s uniform.
GS Caltex, in need of outside hitter reinforcements, signed Hyundai E&C’s Kim Joo-hyang as a free agent, while Heungkuk Life Insurance, in search of an outside hitter to replace Kim Yeon-kyung, joined hands with GS Caltex’s Choi Eun-ji.
After receiving interest from multiple clubs, 2001-born national outside hitter Jung Jung-yoon chose to stay. Jungkwanjang outside hitter Park Hye-min and Heungkuk Life outside hitter Kim Mi-yeon also stayed.
The outside hitter position has seen a chain reaction.
Among outside hitters, Jeong Jung-yoon had the highest increase in compensation at 150%. Kim Joo-hyang and Park Hye-min followed with 90% and 83%, respectively. Choi Eun-ji, who is playing for her fifth team since her professional debut in 2011, saw a 78% salary increase. Kang So-hwi had 45% and Lee So-young 8%. Korea Road Corporation’s Ko Eui-jeong and Kim Mi-yeon saw their salaries cut side by side.
The same goes for the middle blockers. Jung Kwan-jang Park Eun-jin opted to stay, while Lee Ju-ah left Heungkuk Life to join IBK. Hyundai E&C’s Nah Hyun-soo chose to stay.
Park Eun-jin, who helped Jeong Kwan-jang reach spring volleyball for the first time in seven years, received a 169 percent pay increase. It is the highest increase among women’s free agents this year. Park played one season in 2023-24 with a salary of 125 million won and an option for 5 million won, totaling 130 million won. In her first free agency, she signed for a salary of 300 million won and an option of 50 million won, totaling 350 million won.
In parallel, the price of national team middle blocker Lee Joo-ah, who became a free agent for the first time since his professional debut, also increased. Lee, who earned $155 million in salary without options, will now earn $330 million in salary and $72.1 million in options, for a total of $421 million in compensation. That’s a 159% increase. This is the second-highest increase among free agents this year after Park Eun-jin.
Following Park Eun-jin, Lee Joo-ah, and Jung Ji-yoon, libero Handa Hye also received a 115 percent increase as she decided to join Pepper Savings Bank instead of GS Caltex. Handa Hye joined Pepper Savings Bank for a total compensation of 280 million won ($250 million) this year with an annual salary of 30 million won and an option of 30 million won.
Middle blocker Nah Hyun-soo, who chose to stay with Hyundai E&C, received a 107% increase in compensation, while middle blocker Kim Hyun-jeong of IBK posted a 24% increase.
Free agent compensation players also saw moves for outside hitter and middle blocker. Jung Kwan-jang brought in Pyo Seung-ju from IBK as compensation for Lee So-young. GS Caltex brought in Choi Ga-eun as a compensatory player for Kang So-hwi and Seo Chae-won as a compensatory player for Handa-hye as veterans Jung Dae-young and Han Su-ji announced their retirement from active duty. Heungkuk Life also brought in Lim Hye-rim from IBK as a compensation player following the departure of Lee Ju-ah. Lim had moved to IBK last year as a compensation player for Kim Soo-ji. She returns to her home team after a year.
In total, 10 players changed teams, including six free agents and four compensation players. The upcoming 2024-25 season will be an interesting one to watch.