*This content was translated by AI.View Original
"Honestly, I didn't really like being substituted during games. At that time, I was a bit selfish."
Han Tae-jun (22), the young setter for Woori Card Woo WON in the men's professional volleyball league, opened up candidly about his inner thoughts while reflecting on himself from last season. He did not easily accept the decision of Head Coach Park Chul-woo (41), who had called him to the bench at the time, but after playing for the national team following the season, he gradually came to understand its significance.
Han Tae-jun joined Woori Card as a fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2022~2023 season rookie draft and quickly grew into a starting setter. In the 2024~2025 season, he appeared in all 36 regular league games, recording 1,675 successful sets with an average of 11.242 sets per game, establishing himself as a top-tier setter in the league.
However, last season was not easy either personally or for the team. Under Head Coach Mauricio Paes, Woori Card fell to the bottom of the standings with a record of 6 wins and 12 losses. Amidst poor results, Head Coach Paes stepped down, and Acting Head Coach Park Chul-woo took over the helm at the end of last year.
The change was dramatic. Under Acting Head Coach Park Chul-woo, Woori Card recorded 14 wins and 4 losses in the remaining 18 regular league games, surging to fourth place. In the quarterfinals, they defeated KB Insurance with a set score of 3-0 to advance to the semifinals. Although they failed to reach the championship finals after suffering consecutive comeback losses to Hyundai Capital, it was a turnaround achieved by overcoming their sluggish start to the season.
In that process, Head Coach Park Chul-woo's approach to player management also drew attention. It involved calling players who were not in good form during the game to the bench for a short rest and then bringing them back into the game depending on the situation. Han Tae-jun, the young starting setter, was no exception.
However, for Han Tae-jun, who wanted to keep playing on the court, being substituted was not a welcome occurrence. Meeting at a recent media day, Han Tae-jun confessed, "Honestly, I didn't really like being substituted during games. All players are probably the same, but since I was a year younger than I am now back then, I think I thought about it a bit selfishly."
At the time, the thought that he had to take responsibility for the game came first. Han Tae-jun looked back, saying, "I also thought, 'I want to keep playing, so why are you substituting me?' Inside, I just kept repeating the thoughts, 'We have to win, we have to win.'"
But his thinking changed after joining the national team this year and consecutively participating in international tournaments. By experiencing the game management of various teams and players, he was able to step back and reflect on himself. Han Tae-jun said, "Going to international tournaments and watching many other teams made me think about why the coach did that," adding, "It seemed like a choice made for the team to win. I was substituted because I wasn't playing well."
Head Coach Park Chul-woo, who led Woori Card's dramatic turnaround last season, is now preparing for his first season as the official head coach. His gaze on the players remains meticulous. He also emphasized sufficient rest above all else for Han Tae-jun, who returned after a long national team schedule. Han Tae-jun said with a smile, "The coach tells me to rest well first. He said that is the best thing," adding, "But I am naturally anxious when I rest, so I told him I wanted to do weight training."
Ahead of the new season, those expecting Han Tae-jun's growth are not just Head Coach Park. Raphael Araujo (35, registered name Araujo), who served as Woori Card's main scorer last season, feels the same way.
Araujo scored 809 points in 36 regular league games last season, ranking third in scoring. He also ranked fourth with an attack success rate of 52.13% and third with 0.401 serves per set. In particular, he Yeon Dal-a (수상) the Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards for Rounds 5 and 6, leading Woori Card's second-half surge. After the season ended, he re-signed with the club and will spend his second season together with Han Tae-jun.
Araujo, who also responded to the interview, said he had directly watched Han Tae-jun's national team games. Araujo said, "I watched a few games and think he played really well," adding, "I think joining the national team this summer and experiencing international tournaments was very important for Han Tae-jun. He will be a much more mature player this season," expressing his expectations.
He was also looking forward to the day when the national team players would return. Araujo said, "I kept asking the players when Han Tae-jun would join. I heard he needed about another week of rest, but he joined today (the 8th). We were grateful and happy to see him."
The two players already boast good chemistry on the court. Han Tae-jun cited as a strength that Araujo does not make detailed demands on the setter. Han Tae-jun said with a smile, "Araujo is so kind that I don't feel much pressure when I toss," adding, "Even if I give it a bit high, he hits it from above on his own, so there isn't much to adjust in that regard."
Araujo had similar thoughts. He said, "I try not to make very detailed demands about the toss. For example, I don't say things like 'please raise it by 5 cm,'" expressing satisfaction with their chemistry.
Han Tae-jun also has a new player he needs to build chemistry with. Woori Card signed new Asian quota player Martin Ahmadi (25, registered name Martin) after Ali Haghighatparast, who had been a pillar of the team's offense last season, moved overseas. Han Tae-jun explained, "I have adjusted my play with all the other players, but I haven't yet adjusted with Martin. So we are talking a lot about our chemistry."
Han Tae-jun, who returned after experiencing his team's turnaround last season and playing for the national team, is now preparing for the new season. He conveyed his resolve, saying, "Personally, I want to play the season without pressure. In particular, I want to overcome the early race well."
Araujo also revealed his bold resolve, saying, "Personally, I want to finish a healthy season without injury. Good individual records ultimately mean it helped the team," adding, "As a team, our goal is naturally to achieve a higher result than last season."
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
