Viral sharpshooter Kim Ye-ji lands Louis Vuitton campaign

Viral Korean sharpshooter Kim Ye-ji, who won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is set to appear in a one-time magazine photo shoot wearing Louis Vuitton, her agency said Monday.

While the shoot is a one-off, the agency, Plfil, said they plan to continue supporting Kim’s modeling career. Several companies in Korea, from startups to established brands, have expressed interest in making her their brand ambassador, they added.

“Nearly 20 brands want to use her in advertisements, and over 10 TV shows are interested in featuring her," said a spokesperson at Plfil, while stressing that Kim’s athletic career remains her top priority.

Kim, 31, gained global fame after a 27-second video of her competing in the 25-meter air pistol final at the May ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, went viral during the Paris Olympics.

While social media buzzed about her action hero-like charisma, global media outlets including BBC, also hailed her as the “coolest” athlete of the Paris Games.

One X post sharing Kim’s performance with a comment,“most ‘Main Character Energy’ I’ve ever seen,” has been viewed over 37 million times and shared more than 82,000 times. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the chorus of admirers, suggesting Kim be cast in an action movie.

Kim won silver in the 10-meter air pistol competition at the Paris Olympics. At this year’s ISSF World Cup, she won gold in the 25-meter competition and silver in the 10-meter event.