Kim Su-ji (diver)
A South Korean diving pioneer who competed at the Olympics as a teenager and helped elevate her nation's presence in the sport.
Born 1998 (age 28)·South Korean diver·Birthday: February 16·Generation Z
Biography
Kim Su-ji entered the world stage with a splash, literally, as the youngest athlete on the South Korean team at the 2012 London Olympics. Her appearance in the demanding 10-meter platform event at just 14 signaled the arrival of a new talent from a nation not traditionally known for diving dominance. While Olympic medals proved elusive, her perseverance bore fruit at regional games, where she claimed synchronized diving bronze. Kim's career has been defined by technical precision and courage, training and competing alongside and against the sport's powerhouses from China and beyond. Her longevity in a discipline known for its physical and mental toll underscores a quiet resilience. As a trailblazer for South Korean diving, Kim Su-ji's legacy is found in the higher platform she helped build for those who will follow.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kim was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Kim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Competed in the women's 10-meter platform event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London at age 14.
- Won a bronze medal in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform at the 2013 East Asian Games.
- Represented South Korea in multiple World Aquatics Championships and Asian Games.
Did You Know?
She was the youngest member of the entire South Korean delegation at the 2012 London Olympics.
Kim hails from Ulsan, a major industrial city known for shipbuilding and automotive manufacturing.
She has trained extensively at the national training center in Jincheon to compete at the international level.
“The water is my silent coach; it tells me everything I need to know.”
