Kim Yeji (32), a silver medalist in shooting at the 2024 Paris Olympics and representing Imsil County, has officially signed with an acting casting agency.
On August 19, the casting platform โPlfilโ announced on Facebook that it has taken on the official management of Kim Yeji as her agency.
According to Plfil, Kim Yeji is set to participate in a photo shoot for the luxury brand Louis Vuitton following the agency contract.
Plfil stated, โAs we are currently an acting platform, we took time to carefully consider whether we could effectively manage a sports athlete,โ but added, โWe believe that our platform, short-form content production capabilities, and global network can contribute significantly to sports management as well.โ
The agency continued, โWe concluded that we could support Kim Yeji in expanding her presence on larger stages,โ and added, โThe more we communicated, the stronger our confidence in managing her grew, and our desire to grow together increased.โ
Plfil also mentioned, โBased on our experience in managing actors and entertainers, we plan to support Kim Yejiโs domestic and international activities and actively ensure that she shines on various stages.โ
Kim Yeji won the silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol final at the Paris Olympics on July 28. Her performance garnered significant attention on social media both domestically and internationally.
Her image, with a stoic expression while donning a white baseball cap emblazoned with the Korean flag, along with her shooting glasses and blinders, captivated audiences, earning her nicknames like โKoreaโs John Wickโ and โSci-fi Assassin.โ
Additionally, a video from the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, last May resurfaced, drawing renewed attention. In the video, Kim Yeji, wearing a black baseball cap backward, maintained a calm demeanor while shooting, setting a world record with an expressionless face as she lowered her gun, thrilling viewers worldwide.
Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the video, praising her, saying, โ(Kim) should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!โ
However, in an interview with the LA Times, Kim Yeji distanced herself from pursuing opportunities outside of shooting.
When asked if she would consider a cameo as a sharpshooter in a film like โJohn Wick,โ she responded, โI havenโt given it much serious thought. Iโve gotten requests to appear on television already, but I donโt know. 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.โ
During the interview, she also expressed gratitude to Musk for bringing attention to the sport of shooting.
Meanwhile, Kim Yeji was selected as one of NBCโs โTop 10 Stars of the Paris Olympicsโ and one of the โTop 5 Athletes Who Made an Outstanding Olympic Debut at the 2024 Paris Olympicsโ by the South China Morning Post.
BY SUYOUNG HA, YOUNGNAM KIM [ha.suyoung@joongang.co.kr]
