As the Korean shooting team excels at the 2024 Paris Olympics, air pistol silver medalist Kim Ye-ji is becoming a worldwide sensation.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the bandwagon and praised Kim on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!"
Kim's past competition clips have gone viral on social media recently. One particularly popular video is from the International Shooting Sport Federation Shooting World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May.
This video of the 25-meter pistol event has garnered over 20 million views.
In the video, Kim is seen maintaining a steely and composed demeanor as she zeroes in on her targets and shoots. Despite setting a new world record with a score of 42 points, she remained remarkably calm.
Kim, alongside fellow competitor Yang Ji-in, secured both gold and silver medals at the event. This marked the first time Korean women sports shooters claimed the top two spots in an international competition.
On Sunday, at the Chateauroux Shooting Center in France, Kim once again drew attention by winning the silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol finals with her younger team member, Oh Ye-jin (IBK Industrial Bank), who won the gold.
Her characteristic composure was evident, and fans were charmed by the contrasting image of Kim carrying an elephant plush toy around the venue, showcasing her "unexpected charm."
Kim, who has a 5-year-old daughter, has dedicated her Olympic journey to becoming a great mom for her child.
She is set to compete in her specialty event, the 25-meter pistol, with the preliminaries on Aug. 2 and the finals the following day. Both Kim and Yang Ji-in are strong contenders for the gold medal in this event.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.