Who is Kim Yeji, the South Korean sharpshooter breaking the internet with her aura?
What do John Wick, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Jotaro Kujo and the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s air pistol event have in common? They’ve all birthed cultural icons whose ice-cold auras can be felt 20 scrolls away on your FYP. Enter Kim Yeji, the South Korean markswoman who has got TikTok and X users in a collective chokehold.
Defined as “the biggest badass of the Paris Olympics” and the “2024 Olympics’ first breakout style star” by mainstream media, Kim continues to spur anime redraws, thirst trap edits and even star sign readings to analyse her ‘type’. But who exactly is Kim Yeji? What are some of her most impressive achievements to date? And why was she carrying an elephant plushie during the competition? Perhaps more pressingly, does Kim actually have an Instagram account?
From problematic billionaire Elon Musk movie endorsements to an elusive social media presence, here’s everything you need to know about the final boss of auramaxxing.
Who is Kim Yeji and why is she going viral?
Born in Danyang, South Korea, Kim Yeji is a 31-year-old sharpshooter who won the silver medal at the women’s 10-metre air pistol Olympics event on 28 July 2024. According to her official bio, the Paris 2024 Olympics marks her first-ever time competing in the modern Games. The page also goes on to note that Kim took up the sport in middle school because she was “curious about shooting.” Fair enough, I guess.
Earlier this year, Kim bagged the silver medal at the Asian Rifle or Pistol Championships in Indonesia, secured bronze at the Munich leg of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup, and gold and silver at the Baku leg of the same competition. Although she gained new fans following her win at the Paris Summer Olympics, it was a resurfaced clip from her world record-breaking performance at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, that shot her into virality.
In the viral clip, Kim, sporting chin-length hair tucked into a black baseball cap styled backwards, executed a cold stance while shooting at the target with one hand in her pocket. Coupled with her performance gear, she looked straight out of a cyberpunk fan fiction. But it was perhaps her nonchalant yet gripping gaze straight into the camera—after setting a world record in the 25-metre air pistol event—that had social media users fanning themselves.
Yeji Kim sets a new world record in the women's 25m pistol pic.twitter.com/gN97y4lPgW
— Women Posting W's (@womenpostingws) July 30, 2024
Shortly after the competition, Kim was asked by reporters about the areas of the skill that she thought needed improvement. To this, the athlete simply replied: “There is nothing to improve.” That’s +9999 aura points right there if you ask me.
Fast forward to the Paris Olympics event, Kim was seen firing her rounds with sci-fi assassin energy in a white baseball cap, Fila jacket with a South Korean flag patch, customised Sauer pistol shoes, silver rings and stacked ear piercings. But what stole the fashion spotlight was a grey elephant plush dangling from her fingers as they were tucked into her track pants.
According to writer Trung Phan, the stuffed animal belongs to Kim’s five-year-old daughter who’s still in kindergarten. Coupled with her confidence and edgy demeanour, Kim was in fact mothering at the Olympics.
Kim Yeji, who set a new world record in women's pistol and won silver at the Olympics, competes while carrying her daughter's elephant doll in her pocket pic.twitter.com/DxXJBHhOsZ
— Women Posting W's (@womenpostingws) July 31, 2024
same pose. same aura. insane pic.twitter.com/2zX3iiorxT
— Michaela 🍓 (@Michisugussy95) July 30, 2024
Movie endorsements and elusive social media presence
With comparisons to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, Kim is undoubtedly on her way to breaking the internet. Even X owner Elon Musk shared his thoughts on the athlete by commenting: “She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!” and “Would be cool to have a shooting world champion in an action movie.”
So, what’s the first thing Gen Zers love to do with rising cultural icons? Follow them across social media platforms, of course.
Unfortunately for Kim’s fans, the athlete remains a social media ghost—no Instagram, X or TikTok. In an image carousel of the air pistol event, the Korean Instagram account of the Olympics also went on to tag the Korean Shooting Federation @koreashooting and @teamkorea_official. With TikTok users labelling Kim “Gojo Satoru for lesbians” after the famous white-haired anime character in cult-favourite manga Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s arguably best if the athlete stays away from social media.
Kim Yeji, the woman who just set a new world record for the Women's 25m Pistol pic.twitter.com/dPS3JGdgfR
— Women Posting W's (@womenpostingws) July 30, 2024
Meanwhile, it’s essential to recognise Kim’s roommate and compatriot Oh Ye Jin, the 19-year-old who bagged the gold medal in the women’s 10-metre air pistol Olympics event. Sporting a pink air pistol outfitted with a heart, Oh was decked in aviator-shaped shooting lenses establishing her own personal style.
“[Oh] is like my youngest sibling, and I always want to care for her and always be there for her,” Kim told ESPN. “So when she won the gold medal, I was extra happy. I do not view her as my rival. This is a big stage, the Olympics, and we won the gold and silver. When we won these medals, we were so proud we are Koreans.”
While Kim is set to compete in the 25-metre pistol women’s final on 2 August 2024, her grip on social media is a much-needed reminder that there’s nothing hotter than people doing what they’re good at. And that includes the Clark Kent pommel horse guy, Stephen Nedoroscik.
@renee.hem_ She is the Olympic moment 💅 #kimyeji #olympics #olympics2024 #shooting #fy #fyp #issf
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