Left wing Song Je-woo, who played for the Fukuoka Golden Wolves in the Japanese handball league, will wear the SK Hawks uniform.

During the 2026-2027 Handball H League men's rookie draft held at the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, today (the 27th), the SK Hawks selected Song Je-woo with the first pick in the first round, just a day before his 24th birthday.

Song, a Korea National Sport University graduate, joined the Fukuoka Golden Wolves last year and competed as a national team member at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Choi Ji-hwan, a Wonkwang University center back and left back who was the MVP of the 2022 Asian Youth Championship, was selected second overall by the Chungnam Provincial Government, while Gangwon University left back and center back Kim Dong-young went to Doosan as the third pick.

Men's and women's clubs determined their first-round selection order through a probability lottery based on their 2025-2026 regular league standings, and subsequently selected players in the reverse order of the previous round.

The Incheon Urban Corporation chose Wonkwang University left back and center back Lee Ho-hyun, and Hanam City Hall selected 175 cm-tall Gyeonghee University goalkeeper Kim Hyun-min.

Following the first round, the draft proceeded up to the sixth round in the reverse order of the preceding round.

The men's draft concluded when Gangwon University center back and left wing Lim Ho was selected by the Incheon Urban Corporation in the fifth round.

In the ensuing women's draft, the Chungnam Development Corporation—the H League's newly joined ninth club—first selected Jeomshin Girls' High School left back and center back Kim Eun-yul under league bylaws regarding priority picks for expansion teams, and then additionally selected goalkeeper Lim Ji-min (Incheon Business High School) with the ninth pick in the first round.

Seoul City Hall, holding the first-round first pick, called Korea National Sport University goalkeeper Kim Ga-young; Daegu City Hall welcomed former youth national team member and Korea National Sport University right wing and right back Kim Song-won; Gwangju Urban Corporation selected right wing SuA (Incheon Business High School); and Incheon Metropolitan City Hall welcomed goalkeeper Shin Da-bin (Cheonan Technical High School) as a new member.

The Chungnam Development Corporation selected the largest number of players with five, while last season's top two teams, the SK Sugar Gliders and Samcheok City Hall, exercised only their first-round picks to recruit one player each.

A total of 19 players participated in the men's draft with 13 being selected, while 18 out of 22 applicants found teams in the women's draft.

The employment rates were 68% and 82%, respectively.

Players selected in the first through third picks of the men's first round receive a signing bonus of 70 million won, while those selected in the fourth and fifth picks receive 50 million won each.

Players chosen in the first through third picks of the second round sign for 30 million won, and those in the fourth and fifth picks sign for 20 million won.

In the women's draft, players selected in the first through fourth picks of the first round receive a signing bonus of 70 million won, those in the fifth through ninth picks receive 50 million won, those in the first through fourth picks of the second round receive 30 million won, and those in the fifth through ninth picks receive 20 million won.

Players selected in the third round for both men and women receive a signing bonus of 10 million won, while those chosen in rounds four through six receive no signing bonus.

For both men and women, contract periods can be adjusted up to a maximum of 5 years, and annual salaries are 27 million won or more including taxes.

This amount is aligned with South Korea's minimum hourly wage.

The 2026-2027 Handball H League men's division opens on December 6, and the women's division opens on January 8 next year.

(Photo provided by Korea Handball Federation, Yonhap News)