'Studying in Korea for Volleyball' — 179cm High School Student Gimhae-yeon of Jungang Girls’ High School: "I’m Starting to See the Game Clearly" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

It took three years to put aside the familiar game of volleyball and start learning it anew. Gimhae-yeon (18), an outside hitter from Jungang Girls’ High School who played volleyball in Yanbian, China before moving to Korea, now aims for the professional stage with powerful attacks generated from her 179cm height.

Gimhae-yeon recently met with StarNews at Jungang Girls’ High School in Seoul and reflected on her three years in Korea: “At first, it was difficult to adapt because Chinese and Korean playing styles were so different,” but added, “Now my understanding of volleyball has improved significantly, and I feel like my vision when handling the ball has also widened.”

She began playing volleyball in the third grade of elementary school. The influence of her father, who loved sports, and watching Olympic volleyball on TV served as key motivations. Initially, she picked up the ball casually with a local club team in China. Later, she joined the school’s volleyball team and pursued a serious athletic career. At that time, competition was fierce, with around seven players per grade.

She then chose to move to Korea, prompted by her father’s business opportunities. A change was necessary, and this decision was made to grow further as a volleyball player. As she approached high school enrollment, she moved from China to Korea and began learning what amounted to a completely new style of volleyball at Jungang Girls’ High School.

Upon arriving in Korea, although it was still volleyball, many aspects differed more than expected. Gimhae-yeon explained: “In China, there are many tall players, so the sets from the setter are higher, and attackers have a bit more time to process the ball.” She added, “But in Korea, they play with speed, which made initial adaptation difficult.”

There were also differences in volleyball terminology used on the court. Gimhae-yeon recalled: “At first, both the plays and the terms were different. Seniors and friends around me taught and helped me a lot, so I think I adapted well.”

For Coach Jang Yun-hee (56) of Jungang Girls’ High School, players who choose to join from outside carry a special sense of responsibility. The school does not have dedicated dormitories for athletes, so students coming from other regions must independently arrange their living arrangements near the school.

Coach Jang stated regarding these external players: “They trusted us and came here. I believe we must make it work.” This means considering not only training but also the time and costs chosen by the players and their families. Therefore, rather than expecting Gimhae-yeon to meet the same standards as existing players from the start, she was encouraged to learn Korean volleyball anew. Having learned volleyball in a different environment, she needed to rebuild fundamental skills starting from her first year of high school.

That time ultimately broadened Gimhae-yeon’s vision. She said: “I feel my ability to understand volleyball has improved significantly. When handling the ball, I now try to widen my perspective and often ask myself, ‘What should I do in this situation?’”

As a 179cm outside hitter, Gimhae-yeon’s strength lies in her powerful attacks. Coach Jang Dok-do evaluated her as an offensive resource to be used from the starting lineup within Jungang Girls’ High School’s outside hitter pairing. When Gimhae-yeon and Park Kang-bin (17, 175cm) play together as outside hitters, they form a combination that stands out with its strong blocking presence.

They create opportunities by leveraging their defensive strengths. Compared to Park Kang-bin, who brings change through substitutions, Coach Jang noted: “(Kim) Ha-yeon is the type of player who should start from the beginning,” highlighting her value in terms of attacking power.

This year marked Gimhae-yeon’s first season as a regular starter on the court. After two initial setbacks, she finally saw the fruits of patience alongside her team. Jungang Girls’ High School suffered consecutive losses to Seonmyung Girls’ High School in the March spring league final and the May national category championship final. In response, they focused on training instead of participating in the June 2nd league match (Iksan Jewelry Cup) or the July Presidential Cup.

On the 6th, Jungang Girls’ High School finally defeated Seonmyung Girls’ High School with a set score of 3-1 in the final of the 2026 IBK Industrial Bank of Korea Cup National Middle and High School Volleyball Tournament’s under-18 women’s division. This was their first national tournament victory of the season after two runner-up finishes.

As she adapted to Korean volleyball, V-League naturally came closer. In particular, Jungang Girls’ High School is located near Jangchung Gymnasium, allowing frequent participation as ball retrievers during GS Caltex home games. This provides a rare opportunity to watch professional matches up close.

Her role model is also Yoo Seo-yeon (27), captain of GS Caltex. Standing at 174cm, Yoo is not particularly tall for an outside hitter, but she is the team’s main attacker known for her solid offensive and defensive balance and quick decision-making, allowing her to score against opposing blockers in various ways. She demonstrates the plays that Gimhae-yeon needs to improve.

Gimhae-yeon emphasized: “In the professional league, I admire Yoo Seo-yeon unnie the most, but my strength lies in power. Even after joining the pro league, I want to maintain this aspect. To further improve my jumping ability, I do weight training and squats not only during school practice but also individually.”

Off the court, she is no different from any other 18-year-old. On days when training feels too exhausting, she rests at home all day; when time permits, she goes out to eat hometown food with her father. In China, it was difficult for parents to follow their children to tournament venues, but since moving to Korea, having family directly cheer from the stadium has become a positive change. Her father even attended this year’s IBK Industrial Bank of Korea Cup final.

Instead of bringing over the volleyball skills learned in China as-is, she chose the path of relearning them in Korea. Attackers who once waited for high balls now move faster and aim to see the entire court. With this expanded vision, she plans to challenge the 2027 V-League rookie draft next year.

Gimhae-yeon stated confidently: “I feel my understanding of volleyball has improved significantly since coming to Korea. I will work hard to definitely make it to the professional league.”

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*This content was translated by AI.