Kim Ye-ji, the silver medalist from the Paris Olympics, takes part in the women's 10-meter air pistol preliminary round of the 105th National Sports Festival at the Changwon International Shooting Range, Oct. 13. Yonhap

Olympic silver medalist in shooting Kim Ye-ji has left her team, North Jeolla Province's Imsil County Office.

The county office said Wednesday that Kim submitted her resignation due to "personal reasons." Kim, who was approaching a contract renewal in December, expressed her desire to focus on childcare.

Kim initially signed with the team on Jan. 1, 2018. After taking a break from training for marriage and childcare, she returned to the sport in 2019 at the encouragement of coach Kwak Min-su.

Kim Ye-ji in agency contract with casting company Plfil / Courtesy of Plfil

Her dedication to weekend training led to her silver medal win in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the time, Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised her, saying she "should be cast in an action movie," drawing significant attention.

She has since received offers in the fashion and beauty industries, including a photoshoot with luxury brand Louis Vuitton, and was recently named the first ambassador for Tesla Korea. She has also been featured in top fashion magazines and drawn interest for a cameo in an upcoming film, where she plays a killer.

However, Kim placed 13th in the women's 10-meter air pistol preliminary round at the National Sports Festival on Oct. 13 in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and failed to advance to the finals.

Following this outcome, some speculated about her retirement. In response, Imsil County stated that "nothing has been confirmed regarding retirement."

Her agency added that, with no competitions scheduled after the National Sports Festival and the next season beginning in April, she submitted her resignation in advance.

In an interview with CNN last month, Kim said, "I'd gladly participate if it means more people can experience shooting," while emphasizing, "I'm grateful to be called a fashion icon, but I am, above all, a shooter. The photoshoots are just a part of me."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.