Kim Yeon-koung's Rookie Coach Wins Baeksang Award as Suwon City Hall Claims Futures Title
MBC's Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung won Best Variety Program at the Baeksang Arts Awards. Suwon City Hall, featuring many cast members, also beat Hyundai E&C to win the Futures championship.
Kim Yeon-koung (38)-led MBC variety show 'Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung' has swept major award ceremonies, even winning the Best Variety Program award at the Baeksang Arts Awards. Suwon City Hall, which features many of the show's cast members, defeated the professional team Hyundai E&C to claim the Futures Champ title.
Baeksang Arts Awards Best Variety Program Win
Volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung took on her first variety show as a coach after retiring in April 2024. 'Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung' captures the process of forming a team consisting of volleyball underdogs, such as players released from professional teams, industrial team players, and university players.
Following the Entertainment Awards and PD Awards, the program achieved a grand slam of award ceremonies by winning the Best Variety Program at the Baeksang Arts Awards on May 8, 2026. By sweeping major awards, the show set box office records, and Kim Yeon-koung's leadership in guiding the team was also validated.
Suwon City Hall Wins 3-0 Against Hyundai E&C
The performance of the 'Wonderdogs' in the variety show translated into real results on the court. Suwon City Hall, which includes many of the program's cast members, defeated the V-League professional team Hyundai E&C with a set score of 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20) in the final of the '2026 Korea Industrial Volleyball Federation & Pro Volleyball Futures Champ tournament Danyang Tournament' held on June 16, 2026.
The Futures Champ tournament, now in its second year, is a tournament where V-League professional teams face off against industrial teams. Professional teams participate primarily with 1.5 to 2nd tier players who have little experience in the V-League, and players included in the national team long list are restricted from participating in the tournament due to regulations.
Even under those conditions, Suwon City Hall showed its competitiveness by defeating professional teams in succession. In the final, Baek Chae-rim and Yoon Young-in performed as the team's key attackers.
Season 2 Production and First Fan-meeting on June 27
'Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung', which gained great popularity last year, has entered production for Season 2 with the goal of broadcasting in the second half of the year. The production team is currently recruiting coaching staff and players to join Season 2.
Driven by the program's popularity, the first fan-meeting will also be held. At the fan-meeting to be held at Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium on June 27, Coach Kim Yeon-koung and all 14 Wonderdogs players from Season 1 will attend.
The project led by Coach Kim Yeon-koung gathered marginalized talents and had their actual competitiveness validated. Suwon City Hall's victory remains a major upset achieved by an industrial team against a professional team.
