As volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung steps onto the stage after the KYK Invitational 2025 All-Star game series at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on May 18, the audience lights up the arena with their smartphone flashlights. /Yonhap News

Volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung, who retired after leading the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders to the regular season title earlier this year, made one final appearance on the court.

Kim participated in the “KYK Invitational 2025” at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on May 17 and 18. On the first day, a friendly match was held between the World All-Star team and the Korean women's national team. On the second day, World All-Stars were split into Team Star and Team World to compete against each other.

Having officially retired on April 8 after the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders’ championship win, Kim took to the court for the “real” last time at the tournament, which was held for the second time following the inaugural edition of the tournament last year. On the 17th, she played as a member of the World All-Star team, and on the 18th, she took on a dual role as both coach and player for Team Star.

On April 21, Kim attended the second leg of the Turkish League finals between the Fenerbahçe and the VakıfBank in Istanbul, Turkey. There, Fenerbahçe held a retirement ceremony in her honor, presenting her with flowers, a commemorative plaque, and a jersey bearing her iconic number 10. Ahead of the KYK Invitational, Kim said, “Including the retirement ceremony in Fenerbahçe, it feels like I’ve had too many retirement ceremonies,” and added, “I’m happy that this will be my final match as a volleyball player. I don’t regret retiring. It’s nice to move on to a new chapter in life. I’m grateful to be with such great players.”

Though her playing career has come to an end, Kim plans to continue participating in the invitational tournament annually. “Playing an invitational event is not easy. It was hard last year and it is also hard this year, but I plan to continue next year,” Kim said.

Kim made her debut in the V-League, Korea’s professional volleyball league, in the 2005–2006 season wearing the Pink Spiders uniform. After dominating the domestic league, she spent many years abroad, including in Turkey, establishing herself as one of the world’s top outside hitters. To honor her final match, several volleyball stars flew long distances to Korea.

Natalia Pereira of Brazil, who once played alongside Kim at Fenerbahçe, said, “It took me 30 hours to get here from Brazil, so I’m exhausted,” but added, “I hope everyone enjoys this special event.” Marcello Abbondanza, who coached the Pink Spiders to sweep both the league and championship trophies in the 2024–2025 season before stepping down, also returned to Korea to lead the All-Star match.

In a symbolic duel of strategy, Kim served as player and coach of the Team Star, while Abbondanza took the helm of the Team World. In the first set, Kim directed the game from the sidelines with a clipboard. In the second set, she returned to the court, delivering powerful spikes and proving she still had her elite skills.

After the match, Kim addressed fans during the “Final Episode” event, expressing her gratitude for their support. “I’ve been waiting for this day, my last match as a player. It’s an honor to hold a retirement ceremony with great players in front of so many people,” she said. “While this is my final game as a player, I will continue working for volleyball. Thank you for everything.”