"'I Want to Be Remembered as 'Kim Yeji Who Shoots Well''"
The first luxury brand photo shoot of Kim Yeji (31, Imsil County Office), the silver medalist in shooting at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has been revealed.
Fashion magazine W Korea released a Louis Vuitton photo shoot of national shooting athlete Kim Yeji. [Image source=W Korea]
On the 31st of last month, fashion magazine W Korea released 10 photos of Kim Yeji's photo shoot on its official website and Instagram. In the photos, Kim Yeji wore Louis Vuitton outfits and struck shooting poses, showcasing her unique charm.
Along with the photo shoot, she also revealed her inner thoughts. On the day W Korea called Kim Yeji, she said, "The first thought that came to mind was 'Why me?'" She added, "There are other gold medalists, so why me? Why did Elon Musk mention me? I still wonder about that."
Fashion magazine W Korea released a Louis Vuitton photo shoot featuring national shooting athlete Kim Yeji. [Image source=W Korea]
She continued, "I have been shooting since middle school, and it has always been the same," expressing that she initially felt puzzled. Nevertheless, Kim Yeji traveled 200 km from Imsil, Jeonbuk, to the W photo shoot location. She explained, "The public's memory of Olympic stars is shorter than expected. So, the more I appear in the media, the more people will think of shooting. I want to remain known as 'Kim Yeji who shoots well,'" revealing her reason for agreeing to the photo shoot.
Fashion magazine W Korea released a Louis Vuitton photo shoot featuring national shooting athlete Kim Yeji. [Image source: W Korea]
Kim Yeji emphasized, "After training, I eat dinner and go straight to bed because I have to train the next day as well." She added, "Right now, my training and competition schedule are my top priorities, and my goal is always myself. Whether it's records or as a person, I will continue to surpass myself."
The 25m pistol event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan last May. Despite setting a world record, the shooter's calm demeanor attracted significant attention online. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also commented on the video, saying, "It would be cool if a shooting world champion appeared in an action movie." The video surpassed 20 million views on X (formerly Twitter). [Image source: Screenshot from X (formerly Twitter)]
Earlier, Kim Yeji was selected as one of the top 10 rising stars by the American broadcaster NBC for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, also sparked attention by posting on X (formerly Twitter), "It would be cool if the world shooting champion appeared in an action movie," and "Kim Yeji should be cast in an action movie. No acting skills needed."
However, in an interview with JTBC's 'Newsroom' on the 27th, Kim Yeji stated, "I have not thought about starting a movie career." Nonetheless, after the Olympics, she signed an agent contract with the entertainer management company 'PLFIL' and plans to engage in broadcasting activities to promote the less popular sport of shooting, as long as it does not interfere with her training and competitions.
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