The crowd at Woori Card's home games.

The men's and women's volleyball teams were more than disappointing at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. There was some concern that this could have a negative impact on the new season's professional league. But when the lid is lifted, the V-League is as hot as ever. It's just getting started, but it's off to a great start.

Just a week ago, things were gloomy for Korean volleyball.

The men's national team had been knocked out in the round of 12 before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. The 12 players on the squad had a combined salary of 6.6 billion won ($6.6 million), and they were knocked out by India, Pakistan, and other teams that are far behind Korea in terms of objective strength. It had been 61 years since men's volleyball had won any medals at the Asian Games, since the 1962 Jakarta edition.

Yeonkyung Kim (right) and Sooji Kim.

The women's team was no different. They finished fifth after a string of frustrating results, including a loss to Vietnam, a team that was considered an underdog.

The team's long downward spiral continued at the Asian Games, including a second straight VNL title, a sixth-place finish at the Asian Championships, and an undefeated record in seven Olympic qualifiers in Paris.

As IBK head coach Kim Ho-cheol said at the opening media day, "It's hard for Korean volleyball in its current state. The situation was serious enough for Kim to suggest that "everyone should put their heads together and discuss it.

But despite the national team's lack of competitiveness, interest in the V-League remains high.

Men's professional volleyball team Korean Air has redecorated its home venue, Gyeyang Gymnasium in Incheon.

With the sport already firmly established as a winter favorite, it seems to have a solid fan base and a steady stream of interest that can't be shaken by bad news.

The 2023-24 Dodram V League, which kicked off on the 14th, drew 17,344 spectators for four games over two days, up from 9,140 for four games in the same period last season, which was played in a relatively good atmosphere.

In particular, the matches between Korea Expressway Corporation and Heungkuk Life Insurance on the 14th and Woori Card and Samsung Fire on the 15th drew more than 3,000 spectators and filled the stands.

The reason for the success of the event is that it has a solid support base for star players such as Han Seo-jeong (Korean Air), Kim Ji-han (Woori Card), Kim Yeon-kyung (Heungkuk Life), and Park Jung-ah (Pepper Savings Bank), as well as the newly introduced Asia Quarter, which attracted stars from all over Asia.

In particular, the Asian Quarter was a godsend. The birth of new stars and the improvement of the quality of the matches have contributed to the initial popularity.

Managers and players of seven clubs pose for a photo during the media day of the Dodram 2023-2024 V-League Women's Division at Rivera Hotel in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 12.

An official from IBK, which signed Thailand's Ponpun Gedpard for the Asian quarter, said, "We are already receiving inquiries for tickets to see Ponpun." Japanese celebrities will also be traveling to Korea to watch Woori Card's Issei Otake (JPN) play.

At least in the V-League stands, the Hangzhou disaster hasn't affected attendance. A representative from Woori Card said, "The initial level of interest is higher than last season. Not only in offline stadiums, but also on social media, the response has been mostly positive," said a representative from Woori Card. 토토사이트