2025-2026 V-League: How Korean Road Corporation’s Coaching Change Led to Championship Heartbreak

Acting coach Kim Young-rae / Photo: Reporter Ahn Seong-hoo

[Jangchung = Sports Today, Reporter Shin Seo-young] Korea Expressway Corporation’s choice to part ways with its head coach just before the championship series ended with the team settling for a runner-up finish.

On the 5th at Seoul’s Jangchung Gymnasium, Korea Expressway Corporation lost Game 3 of the Jin Air 2025-2026 V-League women’s championship series (best-of-five) at GS Caltex, falling 1-3 in sets (15-25, 25-19, 20-25, 20-25).

After dropping the first (1-3) and second (2-3) games, Korea Expressway Corporation finished the series with a three-game losing streak and missed out on the overall title.

Korea Expressway Corporation had earned a direct berth to the finals as the regular-season No. 1 (24-12, 69 points), but No. 3 GS Caltex (19-17, 57 points), which came through the play-in and playoffs, pulled off the upset.

Having lost two straight at home, Korea Expressway Corporation had hoped to recreate the ‘reverse sweep’ magic they produced against Heungkuk Life in 2022-23, but they were unable to do so.

Most damaging was the team’s inability to settle a shaken locker room. Just six days before the finals, the club effectively dismissed head coach Kim Jong-min and went into the series with senior coach Kim Young-rae as acting head coach.

All season, Korea Expressway Corporation was viewed as one of the strongest title contenders. They led the standings through every round of the regular season. Star foreign hitter Moma anchored an attack that included Kang So-hwi and Tanacha, Moon Jeong-won—converted to libero—held the back line steady, and Kim Se-bin, Bae Yu-na and Lee Ji-yoon added depth to an otherwise robust roster.

GS Caltex, by contrast, had battled through the play-in and playoffs and faced a heavy physical toll. On paper, Korea Expressway Corporation held clear advantages in personnel and conditions.

Still, the club introduced its own disruption. They split with Kim Jong-min—who had led the team for 10 years since 2016—on the eve of the finals. Though the club cited contract expiration, his involvement in an off-field incident was also a significant factor.

Kim had guided Korea Expressway Corporation to its first overall title in 2017-18 and again to the championship in 2022-23. He led the team back to the finals this season and even attended the postseason media day on the 20th of last month to express his resolve.

However, he became embroiled in controversy when prosecutors issued a summary indictment at the end of February over an alleged assault involving coach A, who worked for the same club.

Even so, the timing of the split was difficult to understand. On the 26th of last month—just six days before Game 1—the club announced Kim’s departure and named senior coach Kim Young-rae as acting head coach. While distancing the club from a coach involved in misconduct may have been unavoidable, making such a change with the finals imminent added a hefty burden.

Thrust into the role on short notice, acting coach Kim Young-rae had little time to steady the team. The absence of a coach who had led the squad for a decade unsettled the players, and the leadership void was not easily filled. Ultimately, Korea Expressway Corporation dropped three straight to GS Caltex and fell just short of the integrated championship.

After the match, acting coach Kim said, \”The players gave everything, but I came up short. When we shut one thing down, another opened up. Our opponent played well and had momentum. We failed to execute basic things like transitions and handed over too many easy points. It’s painful.\”

When asked whether the outcome would have been different if Kim Jong-min had been on the bench, Kim declined to elaborate. \”It’s hard for me to say,\” he replied. \”He led this team for 10 years. I played with him as a teammate and worked under him as a coach. This is a sensitive issue, so I can’t comment. I’m sorry.\”

He added, \”I feel terrible for the players. I wanted to speak with them after the game, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t find the words when I looked into their eyes. I cried.\”

GS Caltex coach Lee Young-taek also spoke cautiously. \”It’s a difficult topic,\” he said. \”He’s a senior I played with at Korean Air and coached alongside, and I learned a lot from him. Compared with him, I don’t have as much experience. The acting arrangement likely had some impact. Taking over suddenly during the season leaves you scrambling—especially in the finals, where the pressure is huge. As I said earlier, this was a good opportunity for us.\”

[Sports Today Reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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