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V League sets for 2026-27 season as free agents up in the air

Published: 20 Apr. 2026, 14:53 Updated: 20 Apr. 2026, 16:35

Middle-blocker Jung Ho-young celebrates her free agent contract with Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in a photo released on April 16. [HEUNGKUK LIFE INSURANCE PINK SPIDERS]

The Korean professional volleyball league is already gearing up for next season starting in late October with teams eyeing and nimbly recruiting free agent (FA) players — when the 2025-26 V League ended just about two weeks ago.

The FA market opened right after the 2025–26 championship series concluded earlier this month. Players are weighing whether to stay or seek new clubs, while teams decide whether to retain or move on from their rosters.

The women’s league has 20 FA players, while there are 16 in the men’s league. The deadline for contracts is set for Tuesday for women and Sunday for the men as the women's league finished on April 5 and the men's league concluded on April 10.

The outlines of next season’s rosters are gradually taking shape.

Middle-blocker Jung Ho-young received the biggest attention in the women’s league.

Jung, formerly on Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks, moved to the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders with a three-year contract last Thursday. The FA deal was worth the league’s maximum 540 million won ($365,980), comprised of 420 million won in salary and 120 million won in incentives. Three other teams — reportedly including her original team, GS Caltex Seoul Kixx and Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate — were interested in recruiting Jung.

Setter Kim Da-in from Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate remained on her original team. She inked her FA contract with the club on Saturday, with her salary capped at the league’s maximum — 540 million won — the same as Jung.

As players in setter position are relatively scarce, if a player moves, transfers often take place consecutively in a chain reaction to fill the vacancy.

Kim’s stay with her team reduced the likelihood of such a domino-like transfer chain among setters in the women’s league.

Players from GS Caltex Seoul Kixx celebrate their win after a match against Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in central Seoul on March 24. [YONHAP]

GS Caltex’s championship-winning setter An Hye-jin’s involvement in drunk driving became an unexpected variable in the ongoing FA market.

Police booked An on charges of driving under the influence on Thursday.

As the Korea Volleyball Federation is set to review disciplinary measures, her original team and other teams are seemingly troubled to show interests in scouting her. The penalty can range from fines to suspensions and permanent expulsion.

While Veteran free agents, such as Bae Yoo-na of the Korea Expressway Corporation Hi-Pass and Park Jeong-ah of the Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers, would clearly bolster the team’s competency, compensation rules make it difficult for teams other than their original clubs to step forward.

If an A-tiered athlete moves to another team, the purchasing team should pay twice the athlete in question’s annual salary for the previous season and hand over one of its player to the team releasing the athlete. The recruiting team can also choose to pay three times the salary in the condition they choose not to give up a player.

Female players whose annual salary is 100 million won or above are classified into the A-tier group in a three-grade FA system. Male players making 250 million won or more receive A-grade for their FA contracts.

In the men’s league, outside hitter Heo Su-bong of the Cheonan Hyundai Capital Skywalkers is the center of the attention. Heo is considered to be on par with foreign players.

His current club is reportedly making an all-out effort to keep him, with a projection that his deal would surpass that of Hwang Taek-eui from the Uijeongbu KB Insurance Stars. Hwang, a setter, earned 1.2 billion won and became the league’s highest-paid player in the 2025–26 season.

Male players of Korean Air Jumbos celebrate their comprehensive victory of the 2025-26 V League title at a gym in Incheon on April 10. [YONHAP]

The Cheonan Hyundai Capital Skywalkers is also making an effort to keep its setter and now-free agent Hwang Seung-bin on the team. However, reports indicate the two sides are at odds over the terms of a deal. Hwang earned slightly more than 500 million won last year, including optional incentives.

The men’s league have several setters participating in the FA market. Among them are Yoo Kwang-woo of the Incheon Korean Air Jumbos, Ha Seung-woo of Suwon Kepco Vixtorm and Lee Min-kyu of Busan OK Savings Bank OKman.

While most teams are leaning toward retaining their players, the possibility of a chain movement among setters cannot be ruled out.

When the Busan OK Savings Bank OKman recruited libero Kim Do-hun from Uijeongbu KB Insurance Stars on Friday, the Stars signed a FA deal with libero Jang Ji-won from Suwon Kepco Vixtorm.

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 CHANG HYE-SOO [[email protected]]