Kim Yeon-koung

Kim Yeon-koung is a former South Korean volleyball player who spent 25 years in the sport, from 2000 to 2025. She began playing at around 12 years old and rose to become one of the most decorated Asian players in volleyball history. Standing 6'4" with black hair, she was a formidable outside hitter and the captain of the South Korean National Team.

Kim's professional career took her across three continents. She started with Heungkuk Life in South Korea for four seasons, then played for JT Marvelous in Japan for two seasons. In 2011, she signed a three-year contract with Fenerbahçe in Turkey, later extending it by two more years and then an additional season in 2016. After a stint in the Chinese Volleyball League during the 2017–18 season, she returned to Turkey to play for Eczacıbaşı VitrA. She announced her retirement from the national team in August 2021.

Her achievements include being named MVP and Best Scorer at the 2012 London Olympics, where she set the Olympic record for most points in a single tournament with 207. She is the first Asian player to win an MVP award in the CEV Women's Champions League. She also holds the distinction of being the first player ever to appear four times on the list of players scoring 30 or more points in an Olympic match. She is 38 years old, born on 26 February 1988, and has an Instagram following of 1.6 million.