"I really wanted to bring home a medal": Korea's national team ace Heo Su-bong still recovering from the wound of an Asian Games without a medal... Started with weight training

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Heo Su-bong (28, Hyundai Capital), the ace of the Korean men's national volleyball team, expressed deep regret while recalling another failure at the Asian Games.

At the media day for the opening of the 2026-2027 season V-League men's division held on the 8th at Hotel Riviera Cheongdam in Seoul Gangnam-gu, Heo met with reporters and reflected on the recent 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying, "I think it was very disappointing. I really wanted to bring a better result than before and tried to win every game, but our performance was not good." He added, "It was a match that left me with great regret both personally and as a Na Ra-reul (CEO) national team player."

The Korean men's volleyball team had been showing signs of revival on the international stage recently. Although they suffered three consecutive losses at last year's World Championship, feeling the high wall of world-class competition, they won the runner-up title at the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup in June this year and secured a third-place finish at the Asian Championship in September, thereby earning a qualification spot for the 2027 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Men's Volleyball World Cup.

Heo Su-bong was at the center of this progress. Korea defeated China 3-1 in the quarterfinals, with Heo scoring 21 points alongside Im Dong-hyuk (Korean Air) to lead the victory. Although they suffered a complete defeat 0-3 against Japan in the semifinals, the situation was different in the third-place match against Australia. Heo exploded for 28 points, the highest among both teams, leading a 3-2 comeback victory. Heo ranked first in total scoring for the tournament (113 points), proving his value as an ace.

Expectations for the Asian Games were therefore high. At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held three years ago, Korea suffered a complete defeat 0-3 against Pakistan in the round of 16 tournament, failing to win an Asian Games medal for the first time in 61 years. Their final ranking was seventh. For Heo Su-bong, who had directly experienced that pain at the time, it was a stage where he definitely wanted to take revenge. However, the result was no different this time either.

Korea defeated the Philippines and Taiwan in the group stage but lost 2-3 to China. To make matters worse, key attacker Im Seong-jin injured his ankle during the match against China. Their quarterfinal opponent was defending champion Iran. Heo poured out 22 points in a valiant effort, and Korea led 2-1 in sets, approaching a semifinal berth. However, they conceded the fourth and fifth sets consecutively, resulting in a 2-3 comeback loss. Ultimately, after going through the placement matches, they finished the tournament in seventh place again.

Heo Su-bong reflected, saying, "We lost both matches we really wanted to win, but it was disappointing because the players had gained a lot of positive energy from feeling that they were fully capable." He continued, "However, as the results turned out that way, the players were mentally shaken. Players who had experienced the Asian Games three years ago felt like they were repeating the same thing, so the shock was great."

It was not a regret that could be easily brushed off. Heo Su-bong confessed, "I dreamed of it earnestly and did my best, but I could not achieve it. I did not want to feel the emotions I experienced three years ago again, but with those thoughts overlapping, it is very disappointing." He added, "As a player, I regret that I could not provide more help."

Although he has returned to his club team Hyundai Capital, he is still in the process of settling his mind. He said, "I do not have any specific pain. I am resting after returning from Japan and started weight training yesterday." He added, "I plan to fully return to team training next week. It seems I need to refresh my mental state quickly rather than just bringing my physical condition up quickly."

Heo Su-bong has already sufficiently proven his value in the V-League. After being drafted third overall in the first round of the 2016-2017 season rookie draft by Korean Air and then traded to Hyundai Capital, he grew steadily and established himself as a representative attacker of the league. In particular, he led Hyundai Capital to their first-ever treble (cup tournament, regular league, and championship finals titles) in the 2024-2025 season and won the regular league MVP award.

Last season, he also scored 538 points in 35 matches, ranking first in scoring among domestic players. Recognizing this achievement, he obtained free agent (FA) status last April and re-signed with Hyundai Capital for a total compensation of 1.3 billion won (annual salary of 800 million won, options of 500 million won). This is the highest amount in the history of men's professional volleyball and the highest amount across both men's and women's divisions this season.

Heo Su-bong stated his resolve, saying, "Honestly, it is a bit of a burden. I am grateful for being treated so well." He continued, "It is always the same that I play for the championship. I will work harder to show my individual skills and team performance." He added, "I will do my best and take the lead in showing a positive attitude."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original