Kwak Myung-woo, a setter for OK Savings Bank in the V-League, is set to return to the court after a two-year absence due to controversies involving domestic violence and driving under the influence.
The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) announced on November 10 that it had registered Kwak with OK Savings Bank based on Article 15 of the player registration regulations (registration of voluntarily terminated players). He has been assigned the jersey number 2. Since his one-year suspension has already expired, there were no administrative obstacles to his registration.
On the same day, OK Savings Bank submitted the necessary documents to the federation to finalize Kwak's return.
The team stated, "Kwak has diligently fulfilled his legal obligations and has spent over two years reflecting on his mistakes during his voluntary termination period. He has expressed a strong desire to serve society and atone for the controversy he caused solely through volleyball."
The team added, "After extensive discussions and deliberations, we concluded that permanent expulsion is not the only solution. We decided to provide Kwak, who has dedicated his life to volleyball, with a 'last chance' to atone based on thorough reflection and remorse."
As a condition for his return, the team set his salary at the league's minimum of 40 million won. Additionally, they stipulated that if he violates any conduct obligations or causes further controversies, his player status will be revoked immediately, and his contract will be terminated. The team also plans to overhaul its player ethics training and crisis management systems to maintain strict standards.
Previously, Kwak was prosecuted for assaulting his wife and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year, for violating the Communications Privacy Protection Act and causing injury in 2024. This revelation led to the cancellation of a trade agreement with Hyundai Capital that had been reached in April 2024.
During the federation's investigation, it was revealed that he had also failed to inform the team about a fine he received for drunk driving in 2021. Consequently, KOVO held a disciplinary committee meeting on May 31, 2024, and imposed a one-year suspension. At that time, there was criticism that the punishment was too lenient given that Kwak had participated in games while concealing his criminal record. Kwak applied for voluntary termination before the disciplinary committee convened, and the team accepted his request, leading to his departure from the court.
Kwak has played for OK Savings Bank since being drafted first overall in the second round of the 2013-2014 season. He contributed to the team's consecutive championships in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons and helped the team secure the runner-up position just before the controversy erupted in the 2023-2024 season.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.