South Korea - Women's V-League 2020-2021

    Quote from Julian Chow

    They have been accused of bullying more than 10 years ago...their ages then would have been at the most, around 12 or 13 ....Youngsters at that age often misbehave....yes, it is wrong, but they have apologised and incidents like these do not deserve the scandalous attention they are getting now. The twins’ contribution to Korean Volleyball more than make up for any wrongdoing they did when they were so young. I would like to see them playing for Korea in the Olympics ❤️❤️.

    I agree with you. Did people have previous issues with the Lee twins and this is just the trigger? Athletes tend to be stereotypical bullies (look no further than Americans and football or Canadians and hockey) and they were barely teenagers when it happened...

    i think even twins join NT they can't really perform well after this kind of things happen and if they got ban from NT it give chance to others player to join and experience NT. both choices still won't change the fact that KR chance to win lower, unless some player can step up their game in or out side the match (or some miracle happen)

    Quote from vlover

    i think even twins join NT they can't really perform well after this kind of things happen and if they got ban from NT it give chance to others player to join and experience NT. both choices still won't change the fact that KR chance to win lower, unless some player can step up their game in or out side the match (or some miracle happen)

    Bear in mind that they both have had a feud with two members of Pink Spiders (KYK is probably one of them)... so maybe they don't want them either.

    Quote from Husky123

    Bear in mind that they both have had a feud with two members of Pink Spiders (KYK is probably one of them)... so maybe they don't want them either.

    lol yes kyk is one of them, but who's the other one I didn't know of? now I'm curious

    Wow. Okay - after following this thread for a while I'm finally going to post. To preface, I'm a Canadian guy who wasn't a fan of volleyball until watching Haikyuu. Then I came across videos of the twins dancing during the all-star game and I got hooked to V-league. This is how I got to become so familiar with Korean volleyball.


    This situation is captivating. As a huge sports fan, these things happen, but almost never to stars like LDY and LJY. In North America, it's common for something to be uncovered about an athlete's past - bullying, racism, drug use, political views, domestic abuse, etc. But a few things make this case phenomenal:

    • LDY and LJY are superstars in Korean volleyball. They are top 3 players at their positions (LDY top setter, LJY one of the top hitters) and constantly rank top of the league in stats. They are two of the few players that are able to carry their teams.
    • LDY and LJY are young and talented. Not only are they superstars, they are the future of Korean volleyball. At only 24 years of age, they were supposed to be mainstays on the National team for years to come and V-league stars for even longer. Many of the staples of the Korean team, KYK, Kim Suji, Kim Heejin, Yang Hyojin, are getting older. This was the twins time to shine and take over the team. This is a massive blow to Korean volleyball.
    • Pink Spiders were playing incredibly well, and had by far the strongest team in the V-League. I remember when KYK and LDY were transferred to the Pink Spiders, thinking how it's possible for something like this to happen? KYK, LDY and LJY are arguably three of the top five players in V-League. It's similar to the Miami Heat when Lebron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade to form a super team. And the Pink Spiders unshockingly played really well, starting their season with 10 (?) straight wins. The fact that this is all happening now will result in a power shift in the league, where teams like GS Caltex are licking their lips at suddenly becoming the strongest team in the league.
    • LDY and LJY are social darlings. In addition to being skilled at volleyball, their youth, good looks, bubbly personalities and the fact that they're twins have propelled them to national celebrity status. They have had appearances on television shows, commercials, etc. and LDY in particular has been very active on social media. I follow V-league because of the twins dancing during the all star game for pete's sake! They have a cult-like following who I'm sure are incredibly disappointed in them.
    • LDY and LJY are females. This is sort of relates to the third point, but the fact that they are females with bubbly personalities makes this situation different from many North American situations, where the condemned is typically a male with a very strong and brutish personality. This shouldn't matter in the grant scheme of things, because bullying is terrible any way you look at it, but it's still more socially acceptable (at least in North America) for this to happen to males. LDY and LJY were always so joyful on camera, laughing and giggling - it is shocking that they committed these evil acts in high school.
    • Dispute with KYK - as if the bullying wasn't enough, the fact that the twins had a dispute with one of the biggest athletes in Korean history, KYK, just adds fuel to the fire. That in itself was already a huge story due to KYK's larger than life status in Korea, and the fact that she was finally returning home after years of playing abroad. After that dispute, the future of the Pink Spiders was in doubt as the team wasn't performing as well as they were compared to the beginning of the season.
    • Alleged "suicide" attempt of LDY - this hasn't yet been confirmed, and there are many conflicting reports. But as if the KYK feud AND the bullying wasn't enough, LDY was transported to the hospital after being found unconscious. Early reports were that it was a suicide attempt. As someone who obviously doesn't know LDY but has watched many videos online, she has always struck me as someone whose larger-than-life personality sort of backfired and weighed on her mentally. I think deep down, LDY is a very sensitive individual who has confidence issues. This is evident in the fact that she has always tried to differentiate herself from LJY, had issues with LJY being "better" than her, and the fact that she got double eye-lid surgery. I would not be surprised if the truth came out that LDY tried to commit suicide that day.

    I am just incredibly shocked by this whole thing and have admittedly been captivated by it. Again, I'm a random Canadian guy who spent five days in Seoul in 2015 - that's my only connection to Korea. But this whole ordeal is like something out of a movie. I feel terrible for the victims of the bullying, but also to Korean volleyball fans, as this may have a lasting impact on the sport.


    I cannot read Korean and am not familiar with Korean news, etc., so would appreciate if other posters could add updates to this thread as it comes out so I can follow along. Thank you!

    Quote from werka

    If they lose the Lee sisters, it’s going to be Korea 5th/6th in Tokyo pool a

    They sure aren't beating Serbia (well weren't going to regardless lol)/Brazil/Japan/DR without the Lee sisters.


    Also, does the NT even have a 3rd setter? I remember Korea took a 38 year old setter to the IOQTs... that's pretty old but considering the general career length of Asian female athlets that's really old

    Quote from zhutingfan

    They sure aren't beating Serbia (well weren't going to regardless lol)/Brazil/Japan/DR without the Lee sisters.


    Also, does the NT even have a 3rd setter? I remember Korea took a 38 year old setter to the IOQTs... that's pretty old but considering the general career length of Asian female athlets that's really old

    yeah I think it was LeeHyohee, but she's retired now, probably in no shape to be back. I'm rooting for anhyejin.

    If KOVO is gonna ban the lee sisters, the championship would most likely be a fight between GS and Hipass. Considering how Pink Spiders is playing w/o the sisters, dont think they'll stand a chance for championship.


    I'm still hoping KOVO would put the Olympics Games into consideration, cause it'll be the last chance Korea would have a chance for a medal under Lavarini + KYK is gonna retire after the OG. (well.. they did improve a lot during the world cup). Cause honestly, besides the lee sisters, there arent young players good enough for the international stage (yet).


    Knetz have petitioned for the removal of lee sisters over on the blue house site, it has reached 50K+ signs in 2 days. But till now, there isnt official news on how they'll deal with the sisters.

    Quote from zhutingfan

    They sure aren't beating Serbia (well weren't going to regardless lol)/Brazil/Japan/DR without the Lee sisters.


    Also, does the NT even have a 3rd setter? I remember Korea took a 38 year old setter to the IOQTs... that's pretty old but considering the general career length of Asian female athlets that's really old

    Yes, with the twins + KYK, they were competitive at the highest level. Didn’t they come within a whisker of depriving host Russia in the first round of the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers ?

    Also, the team did well in the 2019 World Cup 😐

    Quote from needscoolair

    If KOVO is gonna ban the lee sisters, the championship would most likely be a fight between GS and Hipass. Considering how Pink Spiders is playing w/o the sisters, dont think they'll stand a chance for championship.


    I'm still hoping KOVO would put the Olympics Games into consideration, cause it'll be the last chance Korea would have a chance for a medal under Lavarini + KYK is gonna retire after the OG. (well.. they did improve a lot during the world cup). Cause honestly, besides the lee sisters, there arent young players good enough for the international stage (yet).


    Knetz have petitioned for the removal of lee sisters over on the blue house site, it has reached 50K+ signs in 2 days. But till now, there isnt official news on how they'll deal with the sisters.

    Do we know any more information? I find it ridiculous to suggest banning players over something that surfaced 10 years ago for what seems like school bullying. If that was the standard for being out of a job then I'd estimate 70% of my highschool would be unemployed right now. And I went to a good highschool (granted, I live in the west, things are not the same here...).

    Quote from forzalube

    What is knetz?

    Found e reply here: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Knetz

    pretty accurate, basically professional trolls

    Quote from Julian Chow

    Yes, with the twins + KYK, they were competitive at the highest level. Didn’t they come within a whisker of depriving host Russia in the first round of the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers ?

    Also, the team did well in the 2019 World Cup 😐

    Yeah they did (well, except for the matches that they just gave up and rested Kim), and I wouldn't have bet on Russia surviving the European qualifiers. They'd be a favorite for sure, but no more than around 30%. (Turkey also 30%, Dutch 20%, the rest 20%)

    Quote from Julian Chow

    Yes, with the twins + KYK, they were competitive at the highest level. Didn’t they come within a whisker of depriving host Russia in the first round of the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers ?

    Also, the team did well in the 2019 World Cup 😐

    Had a 2-0 lead against Russia in the last match of the qualifier, but could not hold a lead in the 3rd set.

    Quote from zhutingfan

    Do we know any more information? I find it ridiculous to suggest banning players over something that surfaced 10 years ago for what seems like school bullying. If that was the standard for being out of a job then I'd estimate 70% of my highschool would be unemployed right now. And I went to a good highschool (granted, I live in the west, things are not the same here...

    I wouldnt say banning for life. Someone posted in this thread, a baseball player was banned 50 games, 3 years from NT. It could be similar for the twins...(wouldnt wanna speculate atm)


    I think from the accounts of the victims - what the twins did back then, were 2 worlds apart from their current wholesome image. In Asian societies, it's really no no (whatever they did in school, were pretty horrifying).


    It's definite they would receive some sort of punishment, it would also take a while for the Koreans to forget (and hopefully forgive) this issue. Such a waste of talent, really.

    Quote from needscoolair

    I wouldnt say banning for life. Someone posted in this thread, a baseball player was banned 50 games, 3 years from NT. It could be similar for the twins...(wouldnt wanna speculate atm)


    I think from the accounts of the victims - what the twins did back then, were 2 worlds apart from their current wholesome image. In Asian societies, it's really no no (whatever they did in school, was pretty horrifying).


    It's definite they would receive some sort of punishment, it would also take a while for the Koreans to forget (and hopefully forgive) this issue. Such a waste of talent, really.

    So I looked at the Korean baseball league, they play 144 games in the regular season. OK, 50 games may not be as big of a deal in baseball compared to volleyball (50 games is like almost 2 seasons in V-league) but it's still ridiculous imo.


    Also, it was ten years ago and they were 13/14. I doubt if they pursued normal careers (e.g. white collar job) they'd get cancelled this hard. Or that the victim would speak up, for that matter.