Sports reality shows have grown in popularity, and the star power behind the genre is pushing viewer engagement higher than before. In particular, the volleyball legend Kim Yeon-kyung taking the helm as a rookie director has drawn attention with record-setting early numbers for the show’s seventh episode, which tracked a solid 3.5% audience share among viewers aged 20–49. The program has topped Sunday-night ratings across the board for four consecutive weeks, underscoring its broad appeal.

The show’s stated goal is for the “Wonder Dogs,” the team led by Kim Yeon-kyung, to be registered as the eighth team in the professional league, with a progression that follows from student squads to professional teams as they compete and grow. Viewers have been drawn not only by fans of the sport but also by newcomers to volleyball who follow players returning to the court after being released by professional teams.

Volleyball is a sport that requires jumping, and the majority of techniques—spikes, blocks, dives—place substantial stress on the knees. The Korea Volleyball Federation’s survey of roughly 700 players found the knee to be the most commonly injured area (276 cases), followed by the ankle (247), shoulder (124), and back (97). When there isn’t a cartilage tear or similar injury, knee pain from overuse can improve with non-surgical treatments.

Traditional Korean medicine approaches, including acupuncture and pharmacopuncture, are presented as alternatives to relieve knee pain and inflammation. Acupuncture can relax tight muscles and boost blood flow to alleviate pain, while pharmacopuncture—injecting herbal extracts into acupuncture points—can rapidly quell inflammation and aid recovery. A study published in Medicina (an SCI-E journal) by the hospital’s team reported that patients with chronic knee pain who received pharmacopuncture therapy, compared with those receiving standard physical therapy, experienced greater pain reduction and faster recovery. Across multiple outcome measures—NRS, VAS, WOMAC, and EQ-5D-5L—the pharmacopuncture group showed advantages over physical therapy, with faster overall recovery.

In sports, injuries and the associated surgical burdens are a real consideration, so ongoing pain management is crucial. The hope is that through “Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung,” volleyball’s appeal can reach a broader audience while players stay healthier and more passionate for longer. Given that Wonder Dogs includes players across a range of ages, heightened caution regarding injury risk during play is warranted.