16 Round Frustration: Korean Men’s Volleyball Faces Final World Championship Test
KESSON CITY, Philippines – The Korean men’s volleyball team faces a final challenge at the 2025 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Championships, seeking too avoid finishing winless in Group C play. Led by Director Yeon Ramirez, Korea will play Northern European side finland at 11:30 am on the 18th.
This marks the last game for Korea, returning to the World Championship stage after an 11-year absence as 2014. The team has already suffered defeats – a 0-3 loss to world-ranked fourth France and a close 3-1 loss to ninth-ranked Argentina – eliminating them from contention for the round of 16.
The tournament format divides 32 teams into eight groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing. Argentina (5 points) has secured a spot, while France (4 points) and Finland (3 points) battle for the second qualifying position. Korea remains at the bottom of the group without any victory points.
Korea, currently ranked 26th globally, aims to secure a win - and valuable victory points – against 18th-ranked Finland. The tournament awards one victory point for a 3-0 or 3-1 win.
Finland has demonstrated strong form, losing a close 2-3 match to Argentina and upsetting France 3-2 in a rematch of last year’s encounter.
Historically, Korea holds a 4-9 losing record against Finland. Former national team coach Kim Ho-cheol secured a 3-2 victory over Finland at the FIVB World League Seoul Conference on June 4, 2017, but acknowledged past struggles against their height and power.
Key Finnish players to watch include opposite spiker Jonas Yojila, who scored 20 points against France, and outside hitter Luca Martila, who contributed 15 points. Korea will rely on the offensive contributions of left and right side attackers Huh Soo-bong (Hyundai Capital) and lim Dong-hyuk (Armed Forces Sports Forces).
(Photo = FIVB Homepage Capture, Yonhap News)