Early Termination of Contract with Affiliated Team Imsil-gun Office
Some Netizens Leave Malicious Comments on Kim Yeji's SNS
Kim Ye-ji, the silver medalist in shooting at the 2024 Paris Olympics, announced that she will temporarily stop shooting to focus on childcare. However, it is reported that the main reason behind this decision was the indiscriminate malicious comments directed at Kim Ye-ji. On the 6th, Kim Ye-ji's agency, Pulpil, stated in a press release, "Kim Ye-ji has terminated her contract with her team, Imsil County Office," adding, "After the National Sports Festival last month, there are no expected competitions for the rest of this year, and considering that the next season starts in April, the contract was terminated early." Kim Ye-ji also said, "As an Olympic medalist, I will pause my journey for a while and devote myself to being a mother by spending time with my child."
On the morning of October 13, at the Changwon International Shooting Range in Changwon, Gyeongnam, Kim Yeji, the silver medalist of the Paris Olympics, is seen expressing regret after failing to advance to the finals in the women's 10m air pistol event at the 105th National Sports Festival. Photo by Yonhap News
Earlier, right after winning the silver medal in the 10m air pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a video of Kim Ye-ji casually lowering her pistol like a killer in a movie went viral. Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter) and CEO of Tesla, commented, "Let's cast her in an action movie," and through this connection, Kim Ye-ji was selected as Tesla Korea's first ambassador in the country. In addition, she actively participated in various external activities to promote shooting, including photo shoots with luxury brands such as Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, appearances in famous fashion magazines, and a cameo role as a killer in a movie trailer. In an interview with CNN USA last month, Kim Ye-ji said, "If more people have the opportunity to experience shooting, I would gladly appear," while emphasizing her role as an athlete by stating, "I am grateful to be called a fashion icon, but I am a shooter. The photo shoots show only a part of me."
After the Paris Olympics, with the intention of promoting shooting, a less popular sport, she actively engaged in photo shoots and advertisements, but contrary to her intentions, critical comments about Kim Ye-ji surged. It is known that the malicious comments directed at her also contributed to her decision to temporarily suspend her shooting career.
Kim Ye-ji, who continues to engage in various activities, said in an interview with CNN last month, "If more people have the opportunity to experience shooting, I would gladly participate," while emphasizing her role as an athlete by stating, "I appreciate being called a fashion icon, but I am a shooting athlete. The photo shoot represents only a part of me." Yonhap News
A representative from Kim Ye-ji's agency told CBS No Cut News, "Kim Ye-ji's decision to temporarily pause her athletic career was not solely because of childcare," adding, "She was very distressed by malicious comments. It seems she judged that a break was necessary for this reason." The representative continued, "Despite her appearance, she is very delicate," and said, "Although many people supported her, there were many who troubled her, from people asking for money via social media DMs (direct messages) to others causing difficulties."
The agency also stated, "She plans to prepare for a greater leap after her break," but could not specify when that would be. Kim Ye-ji qualified and was registered to compete in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final held in New Delhi, India, from the 13th to the 18th of last month, but for some reason, she informed her team and the Korea Shooting Federation of her intention to withdraw. At that time, Kim Ye-ji said, "I hope this break is seen as a process to further develop as a shooter," and added, "The timing of my return is undecided, but I will do my best to come back as soon as possible."
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