5000 dig, 7000 receive, 13,000 defense… Yeo Oh-hyeon (45, Hyundai Capital), the ‘walking history’ of men’s volleyball, wrote another myth. He made 600 appearances, which no one has ever experienced in the V-League.

In a phone call on the 22nd, Yeo Oh-hyun said, “I was moved to tears when I saw an old video at the ceremony yesterday. There is a scene where I win with my juniors, but I had a hard time holding back my tears. Maybe because he’s getting older, he’s got a lot of tears,” he laughed. The day before, he played against Woori Card at the home of Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium in Cheonan. It was Yeo Oh-hyun’s 600th match in the V-League. After the second set, a commemorative ceremony was held for him. Hyundai Capital manager Choi Tae-woong, who has been in a relationship for 20 years since his active career, hugged Yeo Oh-hyun. Head coach Shin Young-chul of the opposing team also came out and delivered a bouquet. Video messages from juniors such as Moon Seong-min, Jeon Kwang-in, Lee Si-woo, and Heo Soo-bong followed. Jeon Kwang-in said, “From the player’s point of view, 600 games feel more. It is an unimaginable record.” Moon Seong-min said, “This is my 10th personal win, let’s do it together.”

When asked about the secret to playing 600 games, Yeo Oh-hyun said, “I was lucky.” It is thanks to his parents who gave him a healthy birth.” Even if I inquired more closely, nothing special was said. It was to the extent that during weight training, he reduced the weight compared to his old days, managed to put tension on his muscles, and paid more attention to recovering his physical strength after the game.

The specialness is hidden in his words that there is no special secret. An official from Hyundai Capital said, “Managing your diet, exercising, and resting are things you naturally do as a player, but it is the most difficult to repeat those obvious things every day. Yeo Oh-hyeon is a player who takes those routines for granted and naturally,” he said. For more than 20 years, from his debut on the adult stage until now, he has built up simple and sometimes boring daily routines without skipping a single day to get to where he is now. It is the aesthetics of simplicity and repetition. 안전놀이터

Yeo Oh-hyun joined Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in 2000 during the unemployment volleyball era, and started his professional career with the launch of the V-League in 2005. Until 2013, he won seven championships at Samsung Fire and two more after moving to Hyundai Capital as a free agent. If you add the championship this year, you will have all ten fingers filled with championship rings. With a total of 5198 digs in the V-League, 7916 accurate receptions, and 13114 defenses (dig + receive), he is the overwhelming number one in all defense categories. This season, he also leads the field with a receiving efficiency of 53.26%.

Of course Yeo Oh-hyun’s goal this season is to win. In an interview after the game the day before, he said, “Even when I lost to Korean Air, I never thought I would lose.” Then he said, “I think the only thing left to do now is to go up. The juniors are doing so well, so I will try to win one more championship by putting a little spoon on it.”

How long will Yeo Oh-hyun’s history last? He is only 45 years old, forty-six in Korean age. Oh Hyun Yeo has already exceeded the ’45-year-old project’. It has already been seven years since coach Choi Tae-woong said, “I will help Yeo Oh-hyun to live an active life until the age of 45.” Not many people thought Choi’s words would come true, but Yeo Oh-hyeon did it. He is keeping his place on the court with his skills, not with respect to the ‘living legend’. Yeo Oh-hyun said, “If even one receive helps the team, if the team needs me, I will do my best.”