[Paris Olympics] Behind-the-scenes glimpses of S. Korean Olympic athletes

2024 파리 올림픽을 통해 들여다보는 한국 선수들의 이모저모

Staying in Paris.
A number of Korean athletes at the Olympics this year have shot to fame not simply for their game but for other endearing actions as well as charismatic qualities.
Ahn Sung-jin takes a look.

The 2024 Paris Olympics has been eye grabbing.
Not only for its fierce competition and performances, but also for its behind-the-scenes moments that show another side to the athletes.
South Korean table tennis player Shin Yu-bin is one of them.
The 20-year-old won fans at home and abroad when the scene of her eating bananas, rice balls and peaches went viral.
She also had pictures of her with an ice pouch on her head bringing even more attention.
Her cute image gave her the nickname "Ppiyaki" which mimics the sound of a chick chirping in Korean.
As Olympics stars grab attention, related products have also gained popularity.
Peaches similar to the one eaten by Shin saw a sales surge within days and the number of searches for them also went up.
Similarly, a pop-up store in Seoul saw strong sales of photo cards with various national team players on them which had a 1g gold medal added.
Most of the photo cards were already sold out early on.
Commemorative coins for the Paris Olympics sold in convenience stores in South Korea were all sold out as well reaching sales of up to 50 million won or 36-thousand U.S. dollars.
As viewers found interest in Olympic stars, some enjoyed a bump in their popularity.
National fencer Oh Sang-uk has been gaining fame for his charms.
The 27-year-old was the first Korean fencer to win two gold medals in a single Olympics game.
Since his appearance at the Olympics, his social media followers nearly doubled.
South Korean silver-winning pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji also became a notable star as one of the coolest athletes.
She went viral on social media with her style, futuristic eye-glasses and cold-chic look.
Even Elon Musk, the head of Tesla motors and social media platform X, commented on the platform that Kim "should be cast in an action movie."
The Olympic games is about more than just the matches, it becomes an opportunity to get closer to the athletes that shine for the country.

Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

#2024_Paris_Olympics #Olympics #Paris #Team_Korea #Performances #2024_파리_올림픽 #팀코리아 #한국대표팀 #비하인드 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스

2024-08-09, 14:00 (KST)

[Sugas_Girr]

Oh Sang-Uk is gorgeous, it's crazy!!! 😍 And Kim Yeji is cool!!! 😎 And Shin Yu-bin is cute!!! 🐣 Wow, we are lucky and blessed this Olympics!!! 🤭🥰🤗
❤️🇰🇷❤️

[boom-pl]

The thumbnail should be replaced with a more decent one.

[MdsBTSArmy]

l agree S Korean athletes are indeed charming, l like most the pistol shooter, she's cool lady. And the gym cute girl, so real and true, she's hungry then eat. 🎉🎉🎉 to all winner's of all countries especially our country the Philippines. Cheers, Mabuhay !!!

[dfernandez]

Give the thumbnail maker a gold medal 😂

[deekay]

Am I the only one who thinks Oh Sang Uk kinda looks like Shohei Ohtani?!

[Maggie-tqdu]

I hope the Olympics are never held in France again. Poor athletes

[unklmonk]

anything Elon Mutt has to say should be sanitized.