Busan KCC basketball player Choi Jun-yong has been listed as a KBL player under voluntary termination to pursue a challenge on the U.S. basketball scene.
Because this procedure came immediately after he completed his national team journey, which ended with a gold medal, it is understandable to wonder whether he has left KCC completely.
This listing is not a transition to free-agent status, but a measure that temporarily suspends the player’s eligibility.
3-Line Summary
1. Choi Jun-yong’s KBL player eligibility has been temporarily suspended.
2. If he returns, he must return to Busan KCC.
3. Voluntary termination is not a transition to free-agent status.
Voluntary Termination Approved on September 21
The KBL announced that it had approved Busan KCC’s request for Choi Jun-yong’s voluntary termination on September 21. Choi Jun-yong previously stated in July, after the 2025~2026 season ended, that he intended to pursue entry into the United States. This listing is the procedure that changed his domestic league registration status for that challenge.
Voluntary termination is a system applied when a player has difficulty continuing to fulfill a contract with a club due to personal circumstances, and it temporarily suspends the player’s eligibility. Understanding it as a process in which the contractual relationship disappears completely would lead to a misunderstanding of the situation. Reports by Yonhap News Agency and Newsis stated that if Choi Jun-yong plays in the KBL again, he must return to his original club, Busan KCC.
Therefore, the key point of this decision is not that he “left KCC,” but that his KBL player eligibility will be suspended during his U.S. challenge. He has not become a free agent who can choose any team when returning to Korea.
U.S. Challenge Following the Gold Medal
Choi Jun-yong joined the South Korean men’s basketball national team at the quarterfinal stage of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and contributed to South Korea’s gold-medal victory. In the final held at the Aichi International Arena in Japan on September 20, South Korea defeated Japan 67-57. It was the first Asian Games gold medal for South Korean men’s basketball in 12 years, since the 2014 Incheon Games.
Choi Jun-yong’s contribution to the national team is difficult to explain through scoring records alone. Ha Seung-jin mentioned Choi Jun-yong alongside Jang Jae-seok and Lee Seung-hyun, praising his dedication to the younger players. After the final, Choi Jun-yong also expressed, with regard to Korean basketball, that people should wait for the process rather than hastily replacing players and coaches.
The national team achievement and the U.S. challenge followed during the same period, but one does not guarantee the outcome of the other. The Asian Games gold medal is a confirmed achievement, while entry into the U.S. basketball scene is a plan Choi Jun-yong is pursuing.
Tryout Plans and Remaining Procedures
Jumpball reported that Choi Jun-yong is scheduled to depart for the United States on September 22 and hold tryouts with NBA teams. This is a plan based on statements by Choi Jun-yong himself and explanations from KCC officials. The reports did not confirm that an actual contract or membership with a specific team had been finalized.
A KCC official explained that even tryouts with NBA teams require a transfer consent letter, and that voluntary-termination status was necessary for this purpose. The official also said that Choi Jun-yong could return during the season regardless of the tryout results. However, this is an explanation from a club official, and the outcome of the U.S. challenge itself has not yet been announced.
The most important standard when viewing this listing is clear. Choi Jun-yong’s KBL eligibility has been suspended, but his affiliation with Busan KCC has not disappeared, and the success or failure of his U.S. challenge will be determined through the tryout process ahead.
References
Tags #ChoiJunYong #ChoiJunYongBasketball #BusanKCC #KCC #KBL #VoluntaryTermination #PlayerUnderVoluntaryTermination #U.S.Entry #NBATryouts #AsianGames #MensBasketball #NationalBasketballTeam