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South Korean pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji saw unexpected popularity this year after her video from the ISSF World Cup in Baku went viral. The video, which was taken in May, showed her dressed in all black as she set a world record in the 25m pistol event.
An X user named Del Walker shared this video and wrote, "The most 'Main Character Energy' I've ever seen in my life." Soon this video went viral with people gushing over Kim Ye-ji's intimidating demeanor.
The star shooter recently appeared on the South Korean tvN show You Quiz on The Block, which was released on September 4, 2024. In a special section titled Shoot for Life, Kim Ye-ji discussed the attention she received worldwide, especially after Elon Musk commented on her video.
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During her interview on the variety show, the Olympic medalist addressed Elon Musk's comment on her video and said:
"Elon Musk is a rich man. I didn’t think much of it. To me, he's just some old rich guy."
More about the South Korean Olympic silver medalist Kim Ye-ji
Kim Ye-ji won silver at the women’s 10m air pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In an interview with The Indian Express, she revealed that her most memorable achievement was the 2024 ISSF World Cup where she won gold at the 25m pistol event. She shared:
"In May 2024, I set a world record in the finals of the 25m pistol event at the Baku Shooting World Cup. That was the most prominent achievement. At that time, since Jiin Yang was the reigning world record holder, many expected her to win the gold medal. However, when an unexpected competitor (like me) set a new world record it surprised many people."
LA Times reported that the South Korean Olympian learned about Elon Musk giving her a shoutout from a friend as she doesn't own an X account. She recalled:
"We were having a team dinner the day after my 10-meter final and my 25-meter pistol coach said, 'Ye-ji, I saw you became a world star.' Then someone said Elon Musk had given me a shout-out. After that, I started to make my way through all the posts and Instagram DMs. I have so many backed up right now because I’m a very slow typer."
Since Kim Ye-ji went viral when the Paris Olympics were underway, many people paid attention to her shooting events. During her Olympic stint, the 33-year-old was spotted with an 'elephant plushie' that hung around her waist while she secured the silver medal.
For some reason, many people speculated that the 'elephant plushie' was a present from her daughter that she carried for good luck. The 33-year-old clarified, in an interview with The Indian Express, that the elephant plushie was actually a towel. She explained:
“The elephant plushie isn’t actually a gift from my daughter; it’s a towel. After shooting, my hands get covered in gunpowder, so my coach gave me this towel to clean them. Its cute appearance possibly caused some confusion."
She added that she has a brown bear soft toy that is very meaningful to her as it helps her feel connected to her daughter when she is apart from her due to work.
Kim Ye-ji is reportedly preparing for the upcoming National Police Agency Shooting Competition.
