'Main character energy': South Korea's Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji wins hearts all over the world

While South Korean shooter Kim Ye-ji fired her way to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, the world swooned over her "cool" and "badass" demeanour.

Kim, 31, was competing in the women's 10-metre air pistol final on Sunday (July 28), alongside teammate Oh Ye-jin, 19, who clinched gold and set a new Olympic shooting record.

But it was the silver medallist shooter who shot to Internet fame overnight, thanks in part to her sharp gaze of intense concentration as well as a pair of stylish shooting glasses that looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Kim Yeji, the woman who just set a new world record for the Women's 25m Pistol pic.twitter.com/dPS3JGdgfR

— Women Posting W's (@womenpostingws) July 30, 2024

"The most aura I have ever seen in an image," wrote X account Women Posting W's in another viral post.

One X user also compared Kim's shooting stance to iconic manga character Satoru Gojo, captioning the post: "Same pose. Same aura. Insane."

same pose. same aura. insane pic.twitter.com/2zX3iiorxT

— Michaela 🍓 (@Michisugussy95) July 30, 2024

And the markswoman captured the hearts of even more, after a clip showed her coolly setting a world record for the 25-metre pistol event at the World Cup held in Azerbaijan in May resurfaced online.

Kim had given a slight smirk after the shot but remained relatively nonchalant otherwise as spectators broke into applause.

Following the event, she told reporters there was “nothing to improve” before the Paris Olympics, reported South Korean media outlet Yonhap News.

“I don’t feel any pressure at all. My confidence comes from a reason. It’s confidence based on a foundation.” 

The video was shared by multiple accounts, with each post garnering hundreds of thousands in likes.

"This girl is a movie character like how is she real," said one X user.

Another viral post is captioned: "The most 'Main Character Energy' I've ever seen in my life."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk also praised Kim under the thread: "She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!"

She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2024

Kim will next compete in the women's 25-metre air pistol qualifying event on Aug 2.

ALSO READ: 58-year-old Zeng Zhiying exits Olympics but not table tennis

lim.kewei@asiaone.com