If Lee Woo-jin is Kwak Seung-seok, why didn't KEPCO, which is not in Korea, choose an overseas team?

Oct 27, 2025

If Lee Woo-jin is Kwak Seung-seok, why didn't KEPCO, which is not in Korea, choose an overseas team?
Photo courtesy=KOVO



"If Woojin is Kwak Seungseok, Bang Kangho is..."

A big high school prospect beat an overseas national team. It seems that the rivalry between the two is already starting.

KOVO held the 2025-2026 Men's Rookie Draft at the Mayfield Hotel in Ovalsan-dong, Gangseo High School, Seoul on the 27th.




The most interested person in this draft is by far who will take the first place honor overall. In fact, Lee Woo-jin, who joined Monza in Italy immediately after graduating from Gyeongbuk Sports High School in 2023, received great attention. He was the first high school player to enter Europe, and he is being called up to the national team right away, so it is natural to be considered the first leading candidate. Even his face is handsome. He is a star player.

But as the draft approached, an ambush appeared. Bang Kang-ho from Jecheon Industrial High School. He was evaluated as having a solid basic skill with a height of 1m98, which is very tall for an outside heater. In particular, the stock price soared due to its active performance at the U-19 World Championships held in July.

If Lee Woo-jin is Kwak Seung-seok, why didn't KEPCO, which is not in Korea, choose an overseas team?
Photo courtesy=KOVO
Korea Electric Power Corp. took the first place overall. Depending on last year's performance, 35 beads from OK Savings Bank, 30 from KEPCO, and 20 from Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance were placed in the lottery, but the joys and sorrows of ranking 1-2-3 were mixed in the order of KEPCO, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and OK Savings Bank.




KEPCO coach Kwon Young-min called Bang Kang-ho, not Lee Woo-jin. There was a commotion in the hall. Manager Kim Sang-woo of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance chose Lee Woo-jin. In fact, OK Savings Bank was the best loser of the draft, which was two-top system. Since it became the third place with the most beads. Instead, Shin Young-chul, a former director of the Specification Center, appointed Park In-woo, a setter of Chosun University, to comfort him.

Then, why did KEPCO choose Bang Kang-ho. Coach Kwon said, `I happened to see him for the first time at this year's high school competition, and he was tall and had really good basic skills. He needs to build up his body more, but he is a player with good basic skills. Big height, a sense of reception, etc. are born with it. I thought he was a player who would do well if he built his body well for a year or two."

If Lee Woo-jin is Kwak Seung-seok, why didn't KEPCO, which is not in Korea, choose an overseas team?
Photo courtesy=KOVO
Head coach Kwon continued "I agonized a lot with Lee Woo-jin." Lee Woo-jin is a good style in attack, reception, and serve. It is the same type as Korean Air's Kwak Seung-seok. On the other hand, Bang Kang-ho said, "There is no player with such basic skills in his height. He judged that he is a player who can be better than Heo Soo-bong (Hyundai) if he gets strength," he added. Kwak Seung-seok is an all-around player who represents Korean volleyball. Bang Kang-ho is also said to be better than the high school days of two strong strikers, Huh Soo-bong and Jung Ji-seok (Korean Air). In the field, they saw the style and potential of the two differently.




Manager Kim Sang-woo of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance said, `I understand that all teams have agonized over Lee Woo-jin and Bang Kang-ho. We also agonized a lot about the situation that would be the first place. "I'm satisfied that Lee Woo-jin came." I think it will help the team a lot", he expressed his feelings.

If Lee Woo-jin is Kwak Seung-seok, why didn't KEPCO, which is not in Korea, choose an overseas team?
Photo courtesy=KOVO
Bang Kang-ho "I never imagined I'd be the first to be nominated. I thought I heard it wrong. Lee Woo-jin is such a good player, but I think he recognized the potential that I was chosen from the front. "I'll be a player who can bloom potential in the professional world as well." "There's a lot of talk about being tall and receiving, but there's no talk about serving." I finished first in the serve at the World Championships."

Lee Woo-jin said "I wasn't nervous at all until yesterday, but I was nervous when I came to the draft. The reason why KEPCO didn't pick me is that I think Bang Kang-ho thinks he's more valuable than me in that team, so I don't really care." Then "I have a strength in attack from a tall height. I will help Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in the offensive part"I threw my hat in the ring.

Meanwhile, a total of 48 players submitted applications for the draft, and a total of 18 players, including four trainees, were selected.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.