Track Star Kim Min-ji Opens Up About Career Challenges and Future Aspirations

Kim Min-ji, a rising star in track and field, candidly shared the harsh realities behind the glamorous spotlight and her contemplation about her career's twilight.

On the YouTube channel 'Life84,' run by broadcaster Kian84, a video titled 'With Kim Min-ji' was uploaded.

In the video, Kian84 visits the home of track athlete Kim Min-ji, who gained significant attention through Netflix's 'Single's Inferno 5,' and engages in a deep conversation.

Kim Min-ji prepared a meal for Kian84 and shared updates about her life. She revealed that she trains with students from Seoul Physical Education High School due to the difficulty of traveling to her team in Jindo. When Kian84 asked if she felt pressure to keep up with the young students, Kim Min-ji responded that their passion motivates her to train even harder.

Kim Min-ji also opened up about unexpected challenges she faced due to physical changes during her growth period. She explained that her height rapidly increased from 156cm in sixth grade to 173cm in middle school, which led to a significant decline in her vision, recording 0.6 in the right eye and 0.3 in the left.

Training without lenses, Kim Min-ji often failed to recognize distant seniors, leading to misunderstandings about her attitude. She humorously recalled being scolded for greeting the same senior twice in a short period, mistaking it as a jinx.

Contrary to public perception, Kim Min-ji revealed that her financial situation remains challenging. When Kian84 mentioned her appearances on shows like 'Kick a Goal' and 'Baseball Queen,' Kim Min-ji clarified that these were filmed before her appearance on 'Single's Inferno 5.'

Despite assumptions of wealth following her TV appearances, Kim Min-ji humorously appealed to the camera, saying, "I want to earn some money, so please give me work." She expressed that even with over 2 million followers on social media and 100,000 YouTube subscribers, her income hasn't significantly changed.

As she approaches the end of her athletic career, Kim Min-ji expressed a strong desire to pursue broadcasting. She anticipates her career as a sprinter might last up to two more years, or possibly just until next year.

Kim Min-ji discovered a new passion for broadcasting during an injury break and stated, "I don't know how long the broadcasting world will call me, but I want to continue as long as they do."

However, she admitted that her passion for sports isn't as intense as before, acknowledging the anxiety and excitement of stepping into the entertainment industry from a life solely focused on athletics.