Korean league abandons the draft system! Tightens control over secret deals, focusing on the future of Thanatcha, Thailand's top women's volleyball defensive player and Asia quota star.
On 13 Feb 2026 GMT+7, volleyball sources stated that as the 2025-2026 V-League approaches the end of round 5, all 14 clubs (men's and women's) have begun behind-the-scenes efforts to recruit players from Asia for the next season.
The reason is that the Korea Volleyball Association (KOVO) has decided that from the 2026-2027 season onward, the Asia Quota player selection in the Korean professional volleyball league will switch from a Try Out system to Free Agency, prompting both men's and women's teams to actively seek top-tier players.
The foreign player quota will adopt the Free Agency system starting in the 2027-2028 season.
The shift to Free Agency follows a consensus that the previous Try-out system had limitations, such as declining applicant skills in recent years and difficulties in finding suitable replacements.
Although moving to free agency contracts, the salary caps remain unchanged:
Men's teams: $100,000 in the first year, $120,000 in the second year.
Women's teams: $120,000 in the first year, $150,000 in the second year.
The association warned that if overpayments or under-the-table payments are discovered, players will be immediately disqualified, and clubs will lose their foreign and Asia quota rights in the following season.
The highlight is on the women's side, where Korea Expressway Hi-Pass is likely to renew a contract with Thanatcha Suksod (Mome), who has been the best-performing Asia quota player this season, scoring 346 points (averaging 13.3 points per match), ranking ninth overall, and serving as a key member of the "trio" alongside Moma.
A club representative said, "Thanatcha wants to continue playing and really likes our team. We expect good news soon."