Kim Ye-ji (left) and Indian influencer and actress Anushka Sen star in Crush, a spin-off series of a global film project named Asia. PHOTO: ASIA LAB

SEOUL – South Korean pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji, whose skill and nonchalance won the internet at the Paris Olympics 2024, has landed her first acting role – as an assassin.

The 32-year-old took home the silver medal in the women’s 10m air pistol in July. Her ultra-calm demeanour, combined with her wire-rimmed shooting glasses, baseball cap and her five-year-old daughter’s stuffed elephant toy – a lucky charm – hanging from her waist, turned her into a worldwide sensation.

While Kim’s South Korean teammate Oh Ye-jin won gold for the event, it was Kim who went viral, drawing praise from personalities such as billionaire Elon Musk.

“She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X at the time.

Now, she will play an assassin in Crush, a spin-off short-form series of the global film project Asia, said a spokesperson for Seoul-based entertainment firm Asia Lab on Sept 20.

South Korean pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji went viral for her performance at the Paris Olympics in July. PHOTO: REUTERS

Asia, directed by South Korean film-maker Lee Jung-sub – who is also the chief executive of Asia Lab – centres on the diverse stories of Asian individuals confronting racial hatred and discrimination. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the film is still in production.

In the spin-off series to the film, Kim will star alongside 22-year-old Indian actress and influencer Anushka Sen, the company said in a separate statement, saying it was excited to witness “the potential synergy that will arise from Kim Ye-ji and Anushka Sen’s new transformation into a killer duo”.

Asia Lab posted clips and photos of the pair working on the series on Instagram on Sept 14, with the women, both dressed in black and holding guns, side by side. Sen posted on the same day a clip of Kim correcting the way she holds a gun and said she was happy to be able to collaborate with Kim.

Since Kim’s winning of the silver medal, a short clip showing her at the Baku World Cup in May has gone viral, spawning fan art, endless memes and multiple edits setting the clip to K-pop tunes. She set the world record in that competition and eventually won the 25m pistol title.

Kim signed with a South Korean talent agency in August to assist her in managing her extracurricular activities, and she has since been featured in a magazine photo shoot for French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton. AFP