Who's Kim Yeji, The South Korean Olympic Shooter Going Viral? Twitter's Obsession With The Real 'Main Character' Explained

South Korean sport shooter Kim Yeji has become something of the "it girl" at the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics so far.

A video of her breaking a pistol shooting world record has circulated en masse on social media sites like Twitter / X and TikTok this week, inspiring curiosity about who she is and why she looks so cool. As more Westerners discover her South Korean National Team photos, her so-called "aura" is reaching peak levels.

So, who is the South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji? Where did she come from and how did she become Twitter's main character and the subject of memes? Let's explain.

Who Is Kim Yeji?

Kim Yeji is a 31-year-old sport shooter from Seoul, South Korea. She was born on September 4th, 1992, according to her player bio on the Olympics website. She had never competed in an Olympic competition until this year.

Two months ago, Kim competed at the ISSF World Cup 2024 held by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). There, she won a gold medal and broke a world record for the 25m Pistol Women's Final.

세계신기록 클립 더 길게 따옴,, 뉴스에서 짤렸던 뒷부분이 더 미침… pic.twitter.com/Gn2nyIMnMF

— 밤톨러 (@bamtolerate) July 29, 2024

At this year's Summer Olympics, Kim won a silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Women's Final. She was outmatched by her countrywoman Oh Ye Jin who took home the gold.

Kim was pictured at the competition holding an elephant toy that belongs to her 5-year-old daughter who's still in kindergarten. Going forward, it'll be interesting to see if Kim still holds the elephant in her upcoming Olympic competitions.

Why Is Kim Yeji Popular Online?

Kim Yeji won the hearts of Korean internet users when they discovered her South Korean National Team pictorial in which she looked objectively cool. Sport shooting glasses already look cool but with Kim's edgy look, including multiple piercings on her ear, internet users compared her to an anime or movie character.

Westerners, like Americans, then became aware of her presence, mostly because of the clip that was shared of her winning gold at the ISSF World Cup 2024. Her nonchalant expression after breaking a world record was so cold. Plus, many were mistaken that it was from the Olympic games which, at the time, added to her appeal.

The most "Main Character Energy" I've ever seen in my life.pic.twitter.com/ExuXVxB3VB

— Del Walker 🇵🇸 (@TheCartelDel) July 30, 2024

An internet observer could chalk up Kim's appeal to girlboss energy or hark on the recent use of "aura" as a slang term. Plus, people of all genders are weighing in on Yeji's look, all simultaneously announcing that she's beautiful and too cool for school.

What's Kim Yeji's Instagram?

Everyone wants to know where they can find Kim Yeji on social media, specifically on Instagram. Unfortunately, it seems that Kim doesn't have an Instagram presence or any online presence for that matter.

When the Olympics tagged her in a photo, they tagged the Korean Shooting Team's account @koreashooting instead.

---

For the full history of Kim Yeji, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.