Home > Sports > Basketball

Chun Joo-weon undaunted as she takes over KBL's once-proud Woori Bank team from legendary mentor

Published: 19 Apr. 2026, 17:00

Asan Woori Bank Woori Won head coach Chun Joo-weon poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul, on April 16. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Former basketball player and coach Chun Joo-weon is stepping into one of the biggest jobs in women’s basketball with a mix of pride and pressure, as she takes the helm of the Asan Woori Bank Woori Won from longtime title-winning coach Wi Sung-woo.

The former star guard, who spent 14 seasons learning under Wi as an assistant, signed a three-year contract on Wednesday and officially began her first stint as a head coach at a difficult moment for the club.

Woori Bank, one of the WKBL’s most successful teams, is coming off one of its weakest seasons ever and now faces a major rebuilding test under its rookie manager.

“I was too busy taking congratulatory calls to think much about it on the day the report came out about my appointment,” Chun said Thursday at the team's training facility in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul.

“A day later, the weight of the responsibility really hit me. I’m taking over from a coach who produced tremendous results.”

Asan Woori Bank Woori Won head coach Wi Sung-woo, center, and coach Chun Joo-weon, right, speak to a player during a WKBL game. [WOMEN'S KOREAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE]

Chun, a legendary guard during her playing days, retired and joined Woori Bank’s coaching staff in 2012. She remained beside Wi through the 2025-26 season, helping guide the club through one of the most dominant stretches in league history. During that time, Woori Bank won 10 regular-season titles and eight championship series.

Chun said she is determined not to fall short of the standard the team built under her predecessor. “I can’t afford to undermine what the team built around coach Wi,” she said. “I want to apply what I learned while assisting him, along with my own approach, step by step on the court.”

Her path forward is far from easy. Woori Bank endured one of its poorest campaigns in recent history this past season, with the mood around the team further dampened by a string of injuries to key players.

The club finished fourth in the regular season to grab the final playoff berth, then exited early after losing three straight games to top-seeded Cheongju KB Stars in the playoffs.

Chun said the difficult timing does not make the challenge any less worth taking on. “I don’t think the burden would be any lighter if I took over when the team was stronger and on the rise,” she said. “If anything, maybe there is even more I can do to help when things are this difficult. I have no desire to do this comfortably.

As a first-time head coach, I want to bump into things, get knocked around and compete.”

Asan Woori Bank Woori Won head coach Chun Joo-weon poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul, on April 16. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Asked what most clearly separates the role of head coach from that of assistant coach, Chun answered without hesitation: “Choice.”

“As a coach, my role went as far as giving advice,” she said.

“Decisions belonged entirely to the head coach. From now on, my choices will determine not only the result of each game but the fate of the season. The weight of that responsibility on my shoulders is considerable.”

Even so, Chun said the experience she accumulated over more than a decade on the bench will be one of her greatest assets. “I know very well that being good at giving advice does not necessarily mean you are good at actually playing baduk,” she said.

“But after spending more than 10 years beside a master like Wi, I would say I have developed a fair ability to read the game. Once that is combined with head coaching experience, I think I can become even better.”

For all her inexperience in the top job, Chun said her ambitions are straightforward.

“The goal is to win the championship,” she said.

“I’m not thinking about anything else.” She added that the most important lesson she learned from Wi was that a winning coach has to aim for the top in order to come close to achieving that level of success.

Asan Woori Bank Woori Won head coach Chun Joo-weon poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul, on April 16. [JOONGANG ILBO]

She also expressed confidence in one particular strength. “I’m confident that when it comes to embracing players and bringing them together as one, I can match anyone,” she said. “I want to create a new setup with new players and a new coaching staff and generate some momentum.”

Asked how she would describe the coaching style of “head coach Chun,” she said she does not want to lead through the same kind of fearsome charisma often associated with the tigerlike figure.

“That kind of charisma can be effective, but I want to be a different type of head coach,” she said.

“Right after I accepted the job, I found myself thinking about the leadership of a lion. Lions live in groups, share roles and coexist together. That kind of life gives me inspiration as someone who has to pull off a successful rebuild.”

“I want us to be brave like lions, combine our strength and take control of the court.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]