"Even with a youthful face, the gaze was different"... Kim Yeji, looking at past photos with tousled hair

Korean Shooting Federation Releases Kim Yeji's High School Photos
Competing in 25m Pistol Main Event on the 2nd

A photo from 14 years ago of Kim Yeji, the silver medalist in shooting at the 2024 Paris Olympics who is receiving great attention both domestically and internationally for her action movie-like appearance, has been revealed, drawing attention. Although Kim Yeji was youthful in her third year of high school, she already had the cold, killer gaze of a sharpshooter.

Kim Yeji, a third-year student at Chungbuk Physical Education High School in 2010
[Photo by Korea Shooting Federation]

On the 1st, Yonhap News reported a photo of Kim Yeji from 2010 when she was a third-year student at Chungbuk Physical Education High School, released by the Korea Shooting Federation. In the photo, Kim Yeji is wearing a white T-shirt with the Taegeuk mark on the left chest, holding a pistol and aiming at the target. Her roughly cut, spiky hair and still slightly chubby face show her youthful appearance, but the cold gaze fixed on the aiming point remains unchanged.

Kim Yeji, who won the silver medal in the women's 10m air pistol final at the 2024 Paris Olympics shooting event on the 28th of last month, is currently attracting attention comparable to that of a global star. Especially after a video of Kim Yeji competing in the 25m pistol event at the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan, last May was shared belatedly, various SNS platforms erupted with cheers from netizens saying, "She looks like a killer from a movie."

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X, praised Kim Yeji's Gyeonggi video.
[Photo by X screenshot]

Even after consecutively hitting the target while staring at the bullseye, Kim Yeji calmly cleaned her firearm with her characteristic indifferent expression, prompting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to comment on X (formerly Twitter), "She should be cast in an action movie. No acting needed." BBC Sport described Kim Yeji as the coolest athlete at this Olympics on their official SNS, and the US CNN also spotlighted her popularity with an article titled "Internet Falls in Love with Korea’s Olympic Sharpshooter Who Set a New Record" on the 31st of last month (local time).

In Korea, videos and photos showing Kim Yeji’s "unexpected charm" are also gaining popularity. Contrary to her cold sharpshooter-like demeanor during competitions, Kim Yeji showed a playful side after matches, becoming a hot topic. In a recent media interview, when asked about her determination for the remaining events, she playfully twitched her eyebrows and said, "I always have confidence. Even if I don’t do well, I will definitely show you at least one gold medal," adding, "If you believe in me, I, Kim Yeji, will definitely win a medal in the 25m event." Netizens responded with support, saying, "Her cheekiness is so charming."

Kim Yeji will compete in the 25m pistol event at the Ch?teauroux Shooting Center in France on the 2nd and 3rd, aiming for the gold medal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.