I Love the Internet’s Obsession With Kim Ye-ji
South Korean athlete Kim Ye-ji has performed several incredible feats. First, in May, she broke the world record for the women’s 25m pistol. Second, she just won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Third, and perhaps most impressive, Kim united the entire internet and made us all say, “Damn, that lady’s cool as hell.”
Kim medaled in her Olympics event on July 31, 2024. And while images from Paris are circulating, the win prompted a video of Kim competing in Azerbaijan in May to resurface. In the video, she cooly aims, shoots, and breaks the world record. She barely reacts, as if it’s all in a day’s work. Her other hand never leaves her pocket. It’s effortlessly cool.
Kim’s concentrated stance and shockingly natural badassery made her look like she’s fit to become a star in an action movie. She’s cool and collected, with swagger for days. I’d watch the shit out of that film.
The internet’s reaction is giving me life
I don’t typically enjoy guns. As an American, I feel the reasons for this are obvious. But there’s guns for massacre, and there’s non-lethal sport shooting. (Notably and tellingly, the US is performing quite poorly at the latter in the Paris Olympics.) Plus, Yeji Kim’s coolness isn’t because she’s holding a gun. It’s her attitude. It punctures through the part in all of us that likes to watch The Terminator or John Wick.
A huge part of what makes Kim so incredible is her humanity. The internet spotted that, while she competes in Paris, Kim is carrying her daughter’s elephant toy in her pocket. My heart. This revelation only deepened the internet’s obsession with Kim.
The fact that all this excitement is happening over a female athlete is also giving me life. No “Oh, she’s cool for a woman.” Or, “Carrying her daughter’s doll? *Snicker*.” Just, “Whoa, what a badass.” There’s already fan art, especially coming from Kim’s home country of South Korea. It seems like she’s quickly becoming a symbol of national pride.
But Kim is now a worldwide phenomenon. The most popular photos and videos of her are garnering nearly 500K likes on Twitter / X (and counting).
Several posts also focused on Kim’s “aura” or “main character energy,” with one pointing out that her positioning and body language are the exact same as Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Satoru Gojo. And if you have any taste for how obsessed people are with Gojo, you know this is a compliment in the highest order.
Shit’s dark and weird in the world, and so any moment where people seem united in excitement over something feels noteworthy. The fact that right now we’re all obsessed over a female South Korean athlete’s effortless swagger is giving me life.
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
