First high school volleyball player to play directly in Europe Kim received a "love letter" during this year's U19 tournament, and her agent helped her communicate. "It's unfortunate that both offense and defense are at a high school level, but we expect to grow for the future of Korea"

Lee Woo-jin (18-Gyeongbuk Sports Academy) is the first Korean high school volleyball player to play directly in a European league. Lee, who is set to sign with Vero Valle Monza in the Italian top flight, will leave the country on the 15th to join the team's training.

"I thought it was an opportunity that would never come again, and after a week of thinking about it, I made up my mind and never wavered."

Lee Woo-jin (18-photo) said this in a calm voice when we met at Gyeongbuk Sports Academy in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, where he is a student, on June 6. Lee, who is 194 centimeters tall and plays outside hitter (left side), is looking to join Italian first division team Vero Valle Monza. "It's the first time I've ever been to Europe in my life," she said, adding, "I can't imagine what the atmosphere will be like in Italy, which is the top league in the world, because the crowds are 10 times bigger (than in domestic competitions) when I play internationally."

Lee is the first Korean high school volleyball player to go straight to Europe. Previously, Park Ki-won (72), the head coach of the Thai men's national team, and Cho Hye-jung (70), the former head coach of GS Caltex, played in the Italian league in 1979, and Kim Ho-cheol (68), the head coach of IBK, played in the Italian league in 1981. Moon Sung-min (37-Hyundai Capital) played in the German and Turkkiye leagues after graduating from Kyungpook National University, while Kim Yeon-kyung (35-Heungkuk Life) played in the Korean and Japanese leagues before entering the Turkkiye.

Lee led South Korea to its first bronze medal in 30 years at the U19 World Championships in Argentina in August. He was also the only Korean player to be named to the tournament's Best 7. An agent who spotted her at the tournament kept sending her offers, which eventually led to her move to Italy. Kim Yeon-kyung also heard about Woo-jin's move abroad and used her own agent to help her communicate with the Italians.

"I received my first offer in the middle of the competition and had to communicate through an interpreter application. At first, I rejected the offer, but my agent convinced me by showing me the details of the destination. I was attracted to the opportunity to play with world-class players," he said. "My family and school teachers also supported my decision, saying, 'You don't have to worry about paying money to study abroad,'" he added.

Lee will leave the country on the 15th, but plans to sign a formal contract around February next year, as Italian league rules state that foreign players can play after the age of 19. Until then, he will stay with the team as an intern (trainee). "We have already agreed on the length and size of the contract," Lee said, "and the club will cover the cost of my stay in the country, including Korean interpreters. They will also help me study English." Monza announced the news of Lee's arrival on July 7, calling him "one of the most talented players in the world."

Lee's departure to Italy has been met with disappointment not only by Korean college teams, but also by professional teams. He had been considered a potential No. 1 pick in last month's men's professional volleyball draft. "I've been watching him since he was in middle school. "It's a shame that we couldn't get him right away, but we hope he will grow into a good player for the future of Korean volleyball."

Of course, reaching the European League doesn't guarantee a rosy future. If he had tried his hand at professional volleyball in Korea, he could have easily earned a salary on par with his European counterparts by playing consistently. However, Lee says, "Growth is more important to me than stability. I will learn a lot in Europe." 19가이드03