"Looks like a bar girl" — Korean beauty star who endured vicious insults wins over Japan and now Taiwan too: "Not just looks, but eight years of persistence" [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Interest in South Korea women's beach volleyball national team member Shin Ji-eun (25) has spread beyond Japan to the Chinese-speaking world.

On the 24th, Taiwan's media outlet "Nownews" featured Shin Ji-eun under the headline: "Mocked as a nudist! Even considered retirement! Korean beach volleyball goddess Shin Ji-eun endures for eight years and secures first Asian Games victory." The article highlighted her performance, stating, "The reason Shin Ji-eun's story resonates deeply is not only because of her striking appearance but also due to her persistence in safeguarding her dream in an unpopular sport."

On the previous day (the 23rd), Shin Ji-eun, alongside partner Kim Jeong-a (24), defeated Malaysia 2-1 (21-23, 21-15, 18-16) in the second match of Group D in the women's beach volleyball tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

This was Shin Ji-eun's first-ever Asian Games victory after finishing with four losses in all matches at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Since the pair of Yoon Hye-sook and Lee Eun-ah reached the quarterfinals at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, South Korean women's beach volleyball has returned to the Asian Games tournament stage for the first time in 12 years.

While Shin Ji-eun had previously drawn attention as a representative beauty star of South Korea due to her exceptional looks and figure, this first victory holds even greater value given the narrative she built over the past eight years. "Nownews" detailed that during those eight years since joining beach volleyball, Shin Ji-eun changed partners nine times and worked part-time as a sports instructor while taking on other jobs to raise the approximately 6 million to 7 million won needed for each international competition.

The article also shared her past experiences of training on the sandy grounds of Han River Park due to the lack of a fixed training facility and her period of contemplating retirement. Interest in the Chinese-speaking world was not limited to Nownews alone. Taiwan Yahoo Sports also sequentially reported on Shin Ji-eun's first Asian Games victory, the vicious comments surrounding her bikini competition attire, and the hardships she faced during her athletic career.

Japan had already stirred up interest a day earlier. On the 23rd, Tokyo Sports focused intensively on Shin Ji-eun, evaluating that "Shin Ji-eun continues her athletic career steadfastly despite numerous difficulties." The article also introduced her journey of persisting in her sports life without yielding to vicious comments and the reality of competing in an unpopular sport. The report climbed to the very top of Yahoo Japan Sports' "Most Viewed Articles" list and maintained its high ranking throughout the afternoon, drawing significant local attention.

Previously, Shin Ji-eun appeared on the South Korean variety program "Ask Me Anything" and revealed the hardships of competing in an unpopular sport. She stated, "There is no rule requiring beach volleyball players to wear bikinis; it is a choice made by the athletes themselves," adding, "The bikini is both a tradition of the sport and a magnificent outfit." However, she also expressed her distress over some netizens posting insulting comments such as "Are you suffering from exhibitionism?" or "You look like a bar girl."

Until now, the descriptors attached to Shin Ji-eun were appearance-focused expressions like "ultra-beauty" and "beach volleyball goddess." This time is different. Following her first victory, attention has shifted not only to her looks but also to the eight-year journey she endured and the reality faced by athletes in unpopular sports.

Moreover, interest that began during the Chuseok holiday in South Korea has now spread beyond Japan to the Chinese-speaking world, making Shin Ji-eun's first victory on the sand another compelling story.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.