South Korean shooter wins silver. Elon Musk is helping it go viral

SEOUL –

A day after Kim Ye-ji won a silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol event at the Paris Olympicslearned that the internet had decided she was the coolest shooter on the planet.

Driving the sensation was a video of the 31-year-old South Korean casually setting a world record in May while wearing a black backwards cap, sci-fi-esque shooting glasses and a pink elephant doll strapped to her hip . The clip has inspired fan art, video montages and a tip from Elon Musk on X that she should star in an action film.

She was a heavy favorite for gold in the 25-meter event, but an error in the qualifying round — she failed to land her shot in the required three-second window — cost her a trip to the final.

The Times spoke with Kim over Zoom from Paris about her sudden viral fame and the joys and frustrations of her Olympic debut. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you first find out that you were becoming famous online?

I am not very active on social media. I only have six or so Instagram posts and no Twitter account, so I didn’t find out until much later.

We had a team dinner the day after my 10-meter final and my 25-meter pistol coach said, “Yeah-ji, I see you’re becoming a world star.” Then someone said Elon Musk gave me a shout out.

After that, I started making my way through all the Instagram posts and DMs. I have so many backups now because I’m a very slow typer.

What were some of your favorite reactions?

There were many messages that said they learned a lot from me, that my mind gave hope. And then others say they were inspired to try shooting because of me.

I was really touched because I was really very anxious. So I was really encouraged by how many people messaged me to say that my interview gave them courage.

You mean the interview where you laughed about your loss in the 25 meter qualifiers?

Yes. I said that just because I shot a zero doesn’t mean the world is going to end.

I really believe that. I wanted to tell people that whatever sad or demoralizing things happen today, the sun will rise again tomorrow and all these other things can go into the history books. I really believe that words have power, so I always try to tell myself positive things. It’s like brainwashing or hypnotizing myself.

But some people were upset by my reaction because they saw it as a sign that I didn’t take the Olympics seriously.

Can you walk us through that moment where you failed to shoot in the three second window? Is this a common occurrence in sports? What happened here?

I’ve made bigger mistakes earlier in my career. You should check to make sure your gun has discharged the empty cartridge after each shot, but I failed to do this correctly a few times when I was still learning the 25 yard event. I once missed three shots out of five because of it.

But this is the biggest mistake I have made since I joined the national team. I got greedy because I wanted to get the right shot. It turned out that I missed my shot by exactly 0.01 seconds.

After that happened, I was furious with myself.

The internet is going crazy over that video of you setting the world record, especially your outfit and “killer aura” at the time. Can you tell us a little bit about your outfit?

The eye is common. Most shooters compete with a blinder in one eye to keep the muscles relaxed.

I’m not sure where the media heard that the elephant doll was a gift from my daughter, but that part is not true. It was actually a hand towel that my coach gave me because our hands get greasy from loading cartridges into our guns. It is a very practical equipment.

The same with the hat. I wear it to keep my hair out of my face. I wear it forward when the lights are too bright, but otherwise backwards because it helps keep my eyepiece in place.

One of the most impressive things about the video was how impassive you looked after breaking a world record.

I checked the score and knew I had broken the world record. But my reaction at the time was more like “Well. It’s done. Now we’re preparing for the next one.”

Shooting is a very niche sport, especially in South Korea. How did you get there?

I started when I was in sixth grade. Our gym teacher at the time was also the shooting team coach, which I didn’t know before. Then one day he said to the class, “Who wants to shoot a gun? Raise your hand.” I was curious, so I raised my hand.

Later, at the range, I saw some of the older students practicing. They seemed cool, so I told them I’d join the team.

He told me to get permission from my parents, but when I asked, they were very against it. But because I am a very stubborn person, I refused to eat and cried for three days until they agreed.

From day one, I said I was going to be the best.

How was he so sure, especially at that age?

I was captivated by the pose and the image of shooting a gun. I really wanted to shoot one because it looked fun. But it wasn’t just shooting yourself that looked cool. I was drawn to the idea of ​​a team working together towards a common goal.

Was your aptitude for shooting immediately obvious?

Yes, I have always been told that I have a natural gift for this.

I’ve always been a very sleepy person, so I’ll often nap between sessions. And then when my coach would wake me up and say, “Go and break that record,” I’d wake up and shoot a ridiculously high score.

What is the most essential quality that makes a good shooter?

It would be composure and concentration. You have to be able to fully immerse yourself.

I saw it in an interview with one of your coaches that you shot about 300 practice shots every day, compared to the average of 150. I think that many people could not understand what is so.

Shooting is a sport where you focus on one thing and perform the same action over and over again. Doing that 300 or 400 times a day has an interesting effect on you.

The biggest physical symptom is inflammation in your shoulder from lifting so much. But the most significant is mental exhaustion. It is enough to go to bed immediately at the end of the day.

I think anyone who has done unskilled work could relate. It’s incredibly taxing mentally, but once you get into a flow and lose it, time flies. The fun and beauty of it lies in poring over the tiny details, and the feel of the gun you find in your hand.

Elon Musk launched the possibility of you in a movie. If a studio or producer offered you a cameo as a shooter, perhaps in a John Wick-style action movie, would you consider it?

I didn’t think about it very seriously. I have already received requests to appear on television, but I am not. For the most part, I think I need to focus on my primary commitment, which is shooting. And I also feel that people want to see Kim Ye-ji the shooter, not another version of me.

But I’m still thankful to Elon Musk for helping me put the shot in the spotlight.

You have already said that you have your sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

These Olympics feel like a turning point in my life. I realized that I still have a lot that I can improve. This is the single most significant one for me this time.

Until now, I thought I was a perfect shooter with absolutely no weaknesses to work on. And I think that’s part of the reason why I went down the way I did.